Evidence in Action: How Adoption Competency Is Strengthening Mental Health Services 

Evidence in Action:
How Adoption Competency Is Strengthening Mental Health Services

Findings from the effectiveness study confirm that adoption‑competent care is essential. When mental health professionals are trained in adoption competence, outcomes improve—including family well‑being, family connection, and parents’ understanding of their child’s needs. Families treated by TAC-trained clinicians reported significantly higher satisfaction, a stronger therapeutic alliance, and more adoption-relevant care.   

For the National Center, these findings confirm both the urgency and effectiveness of our work. Although there has been a significant gap in care for families affected by child welfare, the TAC study demonstrated that there is a clear solution: adoption competency trainings such as NTI and TAC. Together, TAC and NTI serve distinct audiences yet function as essential components of a comprehensive, systemic approach to strengthening adoption‑competent practice nationwide.  

“The National Center helps ensure that adoption competent approaches are not limited to individual programs or places but are embedded within systems and sustained over time.”

The TAC research functions as the connective tissue that links the National Center’s day‑to‑day technical assistance with a broader national strategy for improving adoption‑competent mental health services. Grounded in real‑world practice, the TAC research shows what works to strengthen treatment quality, build workforce confidence, and improve collaboration across child‑serving systems.  

By using evidence of effectiveness to inform practice, policy, and funding decisions, the National Center helps ensure that adoption competent approaches are not limited to individual programs or places but are embedded within systems and sustained over time. This research‑to‑practice approach supports lasting systems change so that children, youth, and families across the country can access consistent, responsive, and effective mental health services no matter where they live.