Adoption

In most contemporary societies, including the United States, family structures are becoming more and more diverse. One such family structure is families that have adopted one or more children.

Adoptive families experience the same joys and challenges of all families. As is the case with other families, adoptive families may have a child with an identified disability and may experience health challenges, financial stress, divorce, and other family struggles. Adoptive parents may be older, single, [Page 42]gay or lesbian, or in an interracial relationship. But adoptive families must deal with the adoption process itself, and in many cases, adopted children are of a different race, ethnicity, and/or nationality than their parents and siblings. In this entry, the focus is on these two unique aspects of adoptive ...