Post-adoption Contact Research Articles

The Effects on Adopters of Adoption Without Parental Consent

Adoption orders made without the consent of birth parents have risen appreciably as a proportion of all adoption orders. When parents oppose the granting of an order in the courts it is not uncommon for hearings to last several days and sometimes even weeks, and decisions may furthermore be subject to appeal. The effect that participation in such a contest may have on adopters has rarely been considered, and this paper is the first to examine, in 74 placements contested to the point of a final hearing, the consequences for adopters of ‘winning’ their child in a court battle with its birth parents. It examines first the prevalence and nature of post adoption contact in the sample together with attitudes on the part of adopters to their children's birth families before considering, in particular, the effects of the contested nature of the hearings on the availability of information and the well‐being of adopters.

A Study of Post-Adoption Contact in Compulsory Adoptions

This study examines post-adoption contact between adopted children and their birth relatives where adoption orders have been made against the wishes of birth parents following contested court hearings. This area of adoption practice has received very little research attention and the results of this study are surprising, indicating unexpectedly high levels of post-adoption contact.

The Government and Politics of New York State, by Joseph F. Zimmerman

Since the mid-19th century, American law has recognized adoption as a way to create parent-child relationships. As the product of law, rather than blood, adoptive families have become a focal point for debates about the meaning of family, the rights and responsibilities of parents, and the best interests of children.Families by Law brings together diverse perspectives on contemporary aspects of adoption law and practice. Following a historical overview of adoption in American law and society, the reader presents different responses to concerns about who may place children for adoption, the status of birth parents, who may adopt, and the legal and psychosocial consequences of adoption. The new frontiers of adoption are explored: from transracial and intercountry adoption, adoption by same sex couples, and the adoption of children with special needs, to the movements for opening records and maintaining post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth families. The relationship between adoption and assisted reproductive technologies is discussed, as are feminist, economic, and philosophical perspectives on adoption and procreation. The volume includes statutes and cases, advocacy organization statements, and pieces from legal scholars, social scientists, philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists in order to provide a wealth of information about the contemporary dimensions of adoption.Families by Law provides undergraduates, as well as law, social welfare, and public policy graduate students and others interested in family relationships with a multifaceted context for understanding the complexities of contemporary family life.