Introduction to Adoption
Adoption is the social, emotional, and legal process in which children who will not be raised by their birth parents become full and permanent legal members of another family while maintaining genetic and psychological connections to their birth family. Adoption has many facets and touches people in different ways—depending on their role and perspective. In this section, find information on the history of adoption in the United States, definitions and the use of language in adoption, and core issues in adoption, as well as links to related resources and information.
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- A single person or couple considering adoption?
- An expectant parent?
- An adopted person?
- An adoptive parent?
- A birth parent or relative/kinship caregiver?
- An adoption social worker?
- An adoption therapist?
- An adoption program administrator?
- An adoption attorney or court employee?
- A teacher?
- A physician with an adoption-focused practice?
- A person researching adoption?
- A media professional?
The Basics of Adoption Practice | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 307KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 13 pages |
Adoption is a highly specialized field that focuses on placing children with families and providing services to ensure that these placements are permanent. In recent decades, the emphasis of adoption practice has shifted from helping families find children to finding safe and permanent families for children. Adoption workers are now expected to have extensive knowledge and understanding of the recruitment and assessment of adoptive families, the placement of children with a variety of strengths and needs, and supportive postadoption services to promote attachment and permanency for children. This bulletin provides an overview of the basics of adoption practice and the ... |
How Many Children Were Adopted in 2007 and 2008? | |
Series Title: | Numbers and Trends |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 629KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 32 pages |
Provides national statistical estimates for the total number of children adopted in the United States in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. The report includes highlights of the data; findings on the numbers of public agency, intercountry, and other adoptions; and data aggregations in exhibits, tables, and appendices. Data were collected by State courts, State bureaus of vital records, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. |
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Provides adoption professionals with a monthly e-brief of practical information, tools, and strategies to help build their capacity to identify, recruit, and retain families for children and youth. It also presents resources on all aspects of adoption for professionals to share with triad members: birth parents, adopted people, and adoptive parents. View current edition.