Characteristics of Successful Adoptive Parents

Research shows that adults who possess the following attributes are most likely to successfully parent a child who has experienced the loss of family through abuse or neglect:

• ability to make a lifelong commitment to a child
• tolerant of value and cultural differences
• are flexible, yet can provide structure for a child
• have a support system to help them successfully parent
• have realistic expectations of the child they adopt
• are able to celebrate incremental improvements
• are able to fill a child’s emotional and physical needs
• possess the patience to allow the child time to bond