Based on concern about the lack of information on adopting toddlers, this book examines the special needs of adopted toddlers and their adoptive parents. Chapter 1, "Why Write a Book on Toddler Adoption?" details the lack of information on the difficulties of adopted toddlers in forming attachments and parents' child rearing difficulties. Chapter 2, "Is Toddler Adoption for You?" includes discussion of the availability of toddlers for adoption, developing an adoption plan, and rewards and challenges of toddler adoption. Chapter 3, "Getting Started on Adoption," describes the homestudy process, activities contributing to a sense of entitlement, and preparing friends and family for the adoption. Chapter 4, "The Adoption Transition," deals with pre-placement preparation, placement practices, post-placement practices, and factors affecting the ease of the transition. Chapter 5, "Understanding Your Toddler's Development," provides information on physical, cognitive, and social/emotional developmental tasks during the toddler period and how to deal with developmental delays and foster healthy development. Chapter 6, "Parenting the Grieving Toddler," includes indicators of grief and how to support the grieving process and provide structure and predictability. Chapter 7, "Becoming Attached," discusses characteristics of attachment problems, parental strategies that foster attachment, and professional intervention. Chapter 8, "Behavior Management," deals with management style and the use of positive parenting. Chapter 9, "Parents Have Needs, Too," examines post-adoption parental stress, loneliness, and the importance of networking. An appendix provides demographic information on adoptive parents of 26 toddlers, based on a questionnaire about the adoption experience. Contains 62 references. (KB)