Working and caring for a disabled adopted child during a pandemic
Child & Family Social Work
; 28(1):222-235, 2023.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2235402
ABSTRACT
Integrating work and family demands can be challenging for families caring for a child with one or more disabilities. The pandemic and its changes to work, schooling and service delivery potentially added to these challenges. This exploratory mixed methods study sought to understand how the pandemic affected adoptive parents' work–life fit and service use. A total of 200 participants responded to survey questions about parenting an adopted child with a disability prior to, and after, the onset of Covid‐19. More than half of the parents (59.2%) reported that it was somewhat to very difficult to integrate both work and family demands. Parents with greater access to workplace flexibility and supportive supervisors had significantly less difficulties combining work and family. Families who reported more problems with accessing mental health services, special education and respite care reported significantly more challenges with work–family fit. Parents reported increased stress due to the pandemic changes, but many also shared positive changes such as more time for family. Online services were experienced as effective for some children and reduced time spent driving to appointments. Recommendations for workplace and social service practice and policy supporting adoptive parents of children with disabilities are discussed.
Children And Youth - About; adoption; Covid‐19; disability; social services; work–life fit; Parents & parenting; Respite care; Families & family life; Mental health services; Disabled people; Special education; Work; Disabled children; Occupational stress; COVID-19; Flexibility; Pandemics; Children; Workplaces; Social services delivery; Health education; Adopted children; Adoptive parents; Supervisors
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Type of study:
Observational study
Language:
English
Journal:
Child & Family Social Work
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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