Adoption

Adoption has become a socially accepted means by which a family grows, whether by choice, or where biological and psychosocial constraints prevent the process from occurring within the narrow context of the family’s autonomous resources. The popularity of adoption is best reflected in its relation to live births, with the numbers in the Scandinavian countries and the United States approaching 1.1 and 3 respectively, per 100 live births. Falling fertility rates, as well as greater acceptance of children raised in more varied family settings, e.g. by single and older parents, single-gender couple living arrangements, have contributed to this trend. Many adopted children are considered to be ‘at risk’ for both medical and developmental impairments, due to the adverse health status of the biological mother during the pregnancy, as well as their exposure to early environmental and emotional deprivation. To remedy these potential deficits, the adoptive family is encouraged to seek pre-adoption counseling and preparation, as well as access supportive services after the adoption in order to facilitate comprehensive medical screening and care, as well as optimize preventive and remedial efforts to minimize developmental and emotional-behavioral disabilities.