Presents results of a three-state mailed survey that examined pre- and postadoptive service needs of 562 families who adopted children, most of whom had special needs, through public child welfare agencies. Financial and medical adoptive subsidies emerged as pivotal service needs. Counseling and education services and respite care were evaluated…

Provides an overview of issues that families encounter over time in the adoption of children with special needs. Reports on a two-year survey of special needs adoption, which supported much of the conclusions provided by cross-sectional studies. Implications of the findings for the service system are discussed. (TJQ)

Reviews research and reports on a longitudinal study of 15 single-parent adoptive homes over a 14-year period that demonstrated that these homes have the capacity to be successful adoptive placements. Identifies unique characteristics of single-parent adoptive homes, and notes the need for additional research to identify children for whom these…

Describes the developmental process of a research program that integrates theory generation and empirical inquiry in an attempt to understand the process of readjustment that families adopting older children undergo. Presents preliminary findings from a short-term longitudinal study in the form of a case study of family readjustment. Discusses…

Describes the rhetoric and goals of groups who have opposed and supported transracial adoption in the United States. Summarizes the current status of statutory and case law bearing on transracial adoption, and presents the results of a longitudinal study of families who adopted children of another race. (TJQ)

Discusses findings from two studies of coping and adaptation in families who adopted children with developmental disabilities. Focuses on two sets of factors that emerged from both studies as central influences on parents' management of their children and adoption outcomes, specifically, the availability of resources and supports, and…

Examined whether adolescent adoptees differ from adolescent nonadoptees on indicators of emotional and behavioral adjustment and perceptions of family functioning. Identified areas in which adoptees are at potentially higher risk or have higher levels of functioning than nonadoptees. Investigated the relationship of adoption status to gender,…

Examined the extent to which age at adoption affects the behavioral and emotional adjustment of adoptees. Also examined whether gender, race, and age at assessment interact with age at adoption to influence adoptee adjustment. Confirmed observations made by practitioners and researchers that as age of adoption increases, behavioral and emotional…