World · Latin America · 10 hrs ago
Experts urge open conversations when older children are adopted
In Brazil, experts say adopting older children calls for open conversations, especially as they enter adolescence.
They may fear rejection or being abandoned, and parents are advised to keep their child’s past part of family conversations and consider psychological support.
Brazil has 37,709 children and teenagers in care institutions, and 52.53% are aged 10 to 17, according to adoption system data cited in the story.
Singer Vanessa da Matta said her three children, adopted after age five, sometimes took parental limits as signs of rejection and feared that leaving home meant losing their family.
A psychologist says preserving a child’s personal history can help prevent conflicts from worsening, while making sure discussions suit the child’s age and what they already know.
The advice matters because fears linked to adoption can overlap with normal teenage changes, so families should distinguish between them and keep talking with their children.
Experts say families who adopt older children should preserve their children’s histories and keep conversations open, particularly during adolescence.
They warn that adopted young people may experience fears of rejection or abandonment, which can be difficult to distinguish from typical adolescent changes.
Psychologist Caroline Carmona recommends sharing a child’s past in an age-appropriate way and considering psychological support.
In Brazil, 37,709 children and adolescents were in care institutions, and 52.53% were aged 10 to 17, according to adoption-system data cited by Folha.
Singer Vanessa da Matta and filmmaker Rogério Cavalcante described how adopted children in their families have experienced fears of abandonment or being alone.
- Who
- Specialists advise families who adopt older children. The article also features adoptive parents Vanessa da Matta and Rogério Cavalcante.
- What
- Experts urge open dialogue and preservation of adopted children’s histories, especially through adolescence.
- When
- The article was published on 9 November 2026. The advice concerns adoption and adolescence.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- Older adopted children may face fears of rejection or abandonment. Experts say keeping their histories and discussing them can help prevent conflicts from worsening.
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This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Children and adolescents in care institutions in Brazil
- 37,709
- Children aged 10 to 17 in care institutions
- 52.53%
- Rogério Cavalcante’s adopted son
- 12 years old
- Vanessa da Matta’s adopted children
- Felipe, Bianca and Mikael; adopted after age five
1 source
What people are saying
For many years they believed that the moment they left home would be a moment of abandonment.
It is recommended to tell some of this story, respecting certain limits of the age group.
It is a perception that leaves him lost. He rebels and does not want to listen to anyone in that moment.