encyclopedia of adoption

The Encyclopedia of Adoption provides a complete, single-volume reference to the social, legal, economic, psychological and political issues surrounding the adoption experience and its unique terminology. Written for general readers and professionals alike, each of the nearly 400 thoroughly cross-referenced entries describes and explains in clear terms all the basic information needed to understand adoption. Now completely updated and revised, this invaluable reference covers the most recent developments in the field from the Adoption and Safe-Families Act of 1997 to the specialized health problems of children adopted from Eastern Europe. Topics include:

• adolescent adopted persons and the unique stresses facing adopted children between the age of puberty and adulthood
• bioethics and the increasingly common question of how fertility science affects adoption
• drug abuse and its impact on adopted children and mothers who release their children for adoption
• foster care and the affects of the foster care system on children and families
• international adoption and the increasing number of children adopted from other countries
• siblings and how they can be affected by adoption

An introduction provides a brief history of adoption, exploring its role in society from ancient times to the present, and numerous appendixes gather important statistics on adoption and foster care and list social service and adoption organizations. The Encyclopedia of Adoption is an indispensable tool for anyone seeking to understand this complicated topic.