Children for Families or Families for Children: The Demography of Adoption Behavior in the U.S.

Description

Do adoptions provide children for families or families for children? This book analyzes the complex interactions between adopters and adoptees using historical and current data. Who are the preferred parents and children, both domestically and internationally? How do the types of adoptions-domestic adoptions, private and public through the foster care system, and intercountry adoptions-differ? Domestic trends include a shift to open adoptions and a notable increase in "hard to place", foster care adoptions-typically older, siblings, minorities, with physical, educational, or emotional challenges. Adoptive parents are increasingly all ages (including grandparents); all types of marriages (single, married and same-sex couples); all income levels, with subsidized adoptions for children who would otherwise remain in foster or institutional care. Intercountry adoptions have followed waves, pushed by wars and political or economic crises in the sending country, and pulled by the increasing demand from the U. S. Currently there is a decrease in intercountry adoptions from Asia and Eastern Europe with a possible fifth wave from Africa with the greatest number from Ethiopia. This is a resource for family sociologists, demographers, social workers, advocates for children and adoptive parents, as well as those who are interested in the continuing research in adoptions. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Adoption as a Support System for Orphaned, Abandoned, or Voluntarily Placed Children....Pages 3-24 History: The Changing Face of Adoption....Pages 25-58 Front Matter....Pages 59-59 Sources of Adoption Data....Pages 61-78 Adoption Behavior of U.S. Women....Pages 79-104 Demographic and Social Issues of Same-Sex Adoptions....Pages 105-125 Front Matter....Pages 127-127 Intercountry Adoption to the United States....Pages 129-165 Intercountry Adoption to the United States: A Quantitative Analysis....Pages 167-182 Global Intercountry Adoptions....Pages 183-202 Conclusion....Pages 203-211 Back Matter....Pages 213-218