Factors related to patterns of information exchange between adoptive parents and children in mediated adoptions

Communication between adoptive parents and their adopted children was examined in a sample of 60 families involved in mediated adoptive relationships. Subjects for this study participated in the Minnesota-Texas Adoption Project, a nationwide study of openness in adoption (Grotevant & McRoy, 1997). The children ranged in age from 4.5 to 12.5 years, with a mean age of 7.8 years. Data were drawn from individual interviews with family members in their homes. Results indicated that communication between adoptive parents and their children intensified when children began to act on their curiosity and question their parents about adoption-related issues. Different patterns of communication were found between adopted children and their mothers and fathers. While all adoptive mothers reported active communication with their children about adoption-related issues, adoptive fathers communicated more actively when their children had more information about their birth parents or reported being more curious about adoption-related issues.