‘You think it’s your own parenting, don’t you?’: The experiences of adoptive parents of care-experienced children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in England

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition and is especially common in care-experienced children. Individuals with FASD often have the additional complication of a history of early life adversity. Providing appropriate support during childhood can improve outcomes, but this can be difficult for caregivers, especially where FASD-informed service provision is lacking. In this study, 12 adoptive families of children with FASD, based in England, took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences of raising a care-experienced child with FASD. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and without a pre-determined thematic structure. Families described the challenges of parenting children with FASD. Their children were seen as having a range of strengths and difficulties and there were many rewarding aspects of parenting. However, there was a strong feeling that service provision was not adequate, and most professionals did not have appropriate training related to FASD. Professionals tended to use a trauma-informed approach which was sometimes helpful, but which parents felt ought to be used alongside an FASD-informed approach, which was usually missing. The findings of this study suggest that more attention is needed for FASD-informed service provision and support for families in England.