Adoption Isn’t a Fresh Start

Prenatal substance exposure (neonatal abstinence syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) can produce persistent neurobehavioral injuries that standard adoption rhetoric—'therapeutic parenting' and attachment repair—does not address. Because FASD is often under‑diagnosed and mislabelled as ADHD or autism, adoptive carers face unpredictable, high‑risk behaviours with little specialized support, sometimes leading to placement breakdowns or returns to care. — Policymakers must reframe adoption policy and child‑welfare funding around prenatal‑injury screening, diagnostic reform, sustained respite and specialist services rather than assuming adoption alone solves trauma.