Reluctance to discuss adoption option - report

New research into adoption in Ireland has identified a "reluctance" among counsellors and other health professionals to discuss adoption as an option in crisis pregnancies.

The report, Mixed Method Adoption Research, conducted by social scientists at UCD, said social workers, councillors, GPs and nurses held mixed views on how to approach crisis pregnancies.

However, a "typical" reaction was a fear to mention adoption "in case its is perceived that you're pushing this as an option".

The report found that of 12,693 women who were identified in 2002 as having experienced a crisis pregnancy, only 162 seriously considered adoption as a solution.

Olive Braiden, chairwoman of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, which commissioned the report with support from the Adoption Board, said the majority of those who had considered adoption finally chose to keep their baby.

"This confirms previous findings that traditional domestic adoptions are the least likely outcome for women with a crisis pregnancy."

One counsellor interviewed for the study said there was now a stigma around placing a baby for adoption.

"It's a much bigger taboo than termination. It's easier to terminate the pregnancy than to give the baby for adoption," the counsellor said.

Of the 162 women who considered adoption as a solution to their crisis pregnancy, 40.8 per cent decided to keep their baby after birth. Some 26.2 per cent placed their baby in temporary foster care before having the baby adopted, 14.6 per cent took their baby back after placing it in temporary foster care, and 3.8 per cent placed their baby in long-term foster care.

In the remaining 14.6 per cent of cases, the final outcome was unknown.

Fathers were said to have played "a very minimal part in the decision-making process", notwithstanding the 1998 Adoption Act and its direction to engage fathers.

Of nine women who placed their babies for adoption and were interviewed for the study, just two told the relevant fathers of the pregnancy. "But neither of them was involved in the final decision regarding the adoption," the report said.

Ms Braiden said she was "very concerned" that almost three-quarters (72.2 per cent) of the 12,693 women who were identified as having had crisis pregnancies in 2002 attended just one counselling session.

A quarter of women first attended crisis pregnancy services three to four months into their pregnancy. Some 28 per cent attended in the first two months, while the remainder presented themselves after five months or more.