Flying the Coop: Leaving Home among Adopted Young Adults

• In Event: Outcomes Across the Life Course of Youth affected by Foster Care and Adoption

Abstract

This study investigates the timing of leaving home among those who were adopted as children compared to their peers who were biologically related to their parents. Millions of children in the United States are adopted, representing more than 2% of the U.S. child population. Policymakers and parents alike need a more complete understanding of the long-term implications of adoption on children and their families. Adopted children are more likely to experience insecure parental attachment than non-adoptees and experience higher levels of parent-child conflict during adolescence. Prevailing beliefs surrounding adoption suggest that adoptees often experience difficulties across a myriad of dimensions during childhood and adolescence but that many of the difficulties subside by adulthood. The transition out of the parental home may serve as inflection point in the development and trajectories of adopted children. This study used two large and nationally representative datasets in the United States (ACS and CPS) from 2008–2022 to trace out living arrangement patterns of adopted young adults relative to biological children. Results indicated that beginning at age 18, adopted young adults moved out of their households earlier than biological young adults, and differences were not explained by sociodemographic variables, family configurations, or cohort effects. At every age through emerging adulthood, the likelihood of living with parents was lower for adopted emerging adults compared to those raised by biological parents. The pattern was concordant across both datasets evaluated, and the finding was confirmed cross-sectionally and longitudinally. These results suggest that the experience of being adopted has long-lasting ramifications for youth, which continue to shape the life course through emerging adulthood. The research contributes to the broader discussions of family dynamics and resilience, arguing that adaptations in families may be important in further study of moving patterns and outcomes of the transition to adulthood. Long-term ramifications of adoption on children are important for policymakers, practitioners, and parents to understand when formulating sound adoption policies and support for adopted children and their families.

Author

• Jocelyn Wikle, Brigham Young University
  Presenting Author