Inter-Country Adoptee BIRTH RELATIVE CONTACT Survey

AN INVITATION

New Zealand adoption workers encourage adoptive families to practice “openness” in adoption to provide adopted persons with identifying information about themselves and their original families. Previous research by Dr Rhoda Scherman and ICANZ has shown us that many New Zealand intercountry adoptees have searched for birth families overseas and made contact.

Now, in conjunction with Imadopted.org, we're researching the nature and outcomes of contact with birth relatives. What we’d now like to know is, for those who have searched for birth relatives, what's the outcome of your searching (did you find and contact a birth relative?)  and for those who've established contact, WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP AND CONTACT LIKE AFTER CONTACT? How has the experience been for adoptees?

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH?

ICANZ has assisted New Zealanders to adopt over 1,000 children from overseas. Many of these adoptees are now in their twenties and thirties, no longer children, and are interested in their past; they will benefit from advice based on the actual experience of others. Families just starting out on the adoption journey will benefit from this. Your experiences will help professionals make better decisions for adoptive families. We plan to share a summary of our findings (which will NOT identify you in any way) through conferences and journal articles, as well as the I'M ADOPTED and ICANZ websites and ICANZ magazine.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS RESEARCH?

We’re seeking adopted persons (aged 18 or over), adopted inter-country, who've tried searching for birth relatives overseas.  Inter-country adoption means you moved countries as a result of your adoption, so searching for birth relatives involves searching in another country, where you were born.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS RESEARCH?

The study is divided into 6 parts. If you searched but did not make contact with any birth relatives, or only made contact very recently, the survey will be shorter for you. Your answers to the earlier sections are equally valuable!

Part 0. 3 Questions to see if you are eligible to participate in this survey.
Part 1. Demographics - Factual information. This is so we can compare answers from adoptees from different countries, adopted at different ages etc
Part 2. Questions on your initial aims/motives for seeking contact with your birth relatives
Part 3. Questions about the methods you used to search
Part 4. Questions about the outcome of your search. You'll be directed to separate sections depending on whether you succeeded in contacting a birth relative or not.
Part 5. Only for those who succeeded in making contact at least 2 years ago. Questions on what the contact  is like now, after 2 or more years.
Part 6. Only for those who succeeded in making contact at least 2 years ago. Questions on what the relationship is like now, after 2 or more years, from your view.

HOW WILL MY PRIVACY BE PROTECTED?

No identifying information will be collected. All results will be discussed only as summary data so no individual can be identified.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Most are only "tick box" questions. Although there is opportunity to expand on your answers at times, this is not required to complete the survey. It might take about 30 minutes to complete, less for some.

WHAT IS THE SURVEY DEADLINE?

The online survey will be available throughout December 2023 to mid January 2024.

GOING BACK AND FORTH IN THE SURVEY

To go backwards, go to the end of the section you are in and hit the PREVIOUS button. Don't hit the back arrow on your browser!! 

HOW DO I START?

Once you've decided to participate, just go to the questions below. At the end you'll click "done" to send in your answers.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

The benefit to YOU is an opportunity to advance the field of knowledge about adoption by sharing your first-hand experiences.  Your answers will contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of adoptees.

You will also be benefiting US by enabling us to provide information to other adoptees and professionals so that they are better able to address the needs of adopted people and families.

WILL I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH?

A short summary of the project and its major findings will be published on the I'M ADOPTED website, in the ICANZ Magazine and on the ICANZ website. In addition, results will be presented to professionals via conferences or publications. All summaries and results will be anonymous.

WHAT ARE THE DISCOMFORTS AND RISKS?

We do not anticipate that participation in this study will cause you any discomfort or risk. However, if you do find a survey question particularly painful to answer, we would understand if you feel the need to decline answering that item. If, after participating in the study, you have a desire to speak with a counsellor, other health professional or support group, below are the websites for some agencies:

ORANGA TAMARIKI: www.orangatamariki.govt.nz

NZAC (Find a counsellor): nzac.org.nz/site/counsel/find

ICANZ: icanz.gen.nz (09) 623 9369

I'M ADOPTED: imadopted.org

WHO IS CONDUCTING THIS STUDY?

Alex Gilbert is an adult adoptee who was adopted at the age of two years old from Arkhangelsk, Russia. With his own experience of tracing his birth family in 2013 he has since established the I'm Adopted  community and website for others around the world who are also adopted. He also works in television and media which he uses to raise awareness with his work in the adoption community.

Alex Kuch is also an adult adoptee who was adopted from Romania as an infant. He joined I'm Adopted as part of the Board in 2019. Alex Kuch is joining us as an assistant in this research. 

Wendy Hawke is the Director of ICANZ, an organisation that assists people to adopt internationally. She is also a parent to five children, four of whom were adopted intercountry. Wendy has a Masters degree in Applied Social Work and believes strongly in the value of research as a tool to improve people’s lives.

Rhoda Scherman is a Senior Lecturer at AUT in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She is also an adopted person whose lifelong interest in the field of adoption led her to emigrate from the U.S. to New Zealand, in order to study and research on adoption. She completed her PhD at the University of Auckland, where she investigated the importance of culture in the lives of internationally adopted children and their families.

WHOM DO I CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RESEARCH?

Alex Gilbert  - I'm Adopted
contact@imadopted.org

Rhoda Scherman, PhD
Auckland University of Technology
Department of Psychology
(09) 921-9999 Ext. 7228
rhoda.scherman@aut.ac.nz

Wendy Hawke - ICANZ
+64 9 623 9369 
office@icanz.gen.nz