Patterns of Adoption

With recent changes in the variety of children needing adoption, issues about adoption have become more complex. As older and more disturbed children are being placed for adoption, the demands these children make on post-adoption workers and parents are considerable. This text takes a broad sweep of the major research and theoretical perspectives on adoption by reviewing the work of several disciplines within psychology, sociology and social work. The book gives readers a broad understanding on the development of children before, during and after they are adopted.

Nature and nurture; outcomes studies of children adopted as babies; children adopted as babies: genetic influences; children adopted as babies: environmental influences; outcome studies of older children placed for adoption; older children placed for adoption: pre-placement environmental influences; older children placed for adoption: post-placement environmental influences; heredity, environment and adoption; attachment, relationship-based theories and adoption pathways; secure patterns; anxious patterns; angry patterns; avoidant patterns; nonattached patterns; patterns of practice