ADOPTION AND MARRIAGE FEB 2011

Jacquelyn Hill-Anderson: In 2003, the Federal Government awarded the Department of Human Services a discretionary grant to provide services to strengthen the adoptive families. Because of the initial data from the program that was developed in 2006, the Federal Government awarded OKDHS with 1.25 million dollars to provide weekend retreats for couples over the next 5 years. This year, 2011, is the final year of the grant. 

National statistics indicated that adoptive parents experienced more challenges after adoption which puts them at a higher risk of marital problems that result in divorce. The goal of the retreat is to strengthen marriages, preserve adoption placements, and to assist in the adjustment of creating these new families.  The retreats are geared to improve communication skills for couples to use with each other as well as their adoptive children.  The retreats also provide an opportunity for adoptive families to form support groups.  An evaluation piece is provided to measure the success of the program. 

We have two sites: one in Tulsa at the Post Oak Lodge, and the second site is in Guthrie, their Historical District.  Retreats at these two sites are typically on the weekend, with couples doing a pre-assessment of their relationship and communication skills on the first day.  Ice breakers provide a chance for families to get to know their fellow adoptive couples and form long-term supportive relationships.  The final activity for the couples is a post-assessment that is taken back by the evaluators and Oklahoma’s results are reported to the Federal Government. 

National data suggests that the biggest challenge for adoptive couples includes skills for resolving conflict, communication skills, more positive ways of dealing with each other’s personality differences, financial concerns, and balancing the responsibility to find time for recreation.  

The evaluation from the retreats indicate the retreats are doing what they should do, they are meeting the needs of our family, and they’re supporting their relationships.  And this is really what we want the grant to do, and this is what the Federal Government challenged us to do.