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Adoptive Families

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy

  • 26 Accesses

Introduction

Adoption is the legal act of taking the primary care and responsibility of an individual that is not the adoptee’s birth parent and/or family. In the case of adopting minors, the individual or family that acts as the new guardian(s) of the adoptee accepts all legal rights and obligations traditionally granted to biological parents. Adoption can take place in a variety of contexts depending on the age of the adoptee and circumstances of the adoption such as voluntarily relinquished infant adoptions, international adoptions, adoptions out of foster care, or adult adoptions.

Description

Broadly, adoption can occur as either a closed or open process. In a closed or “traditional” adoption, the identity of the birth parents is unknown to the adoptive family. Closed adoptions require the presence of a third party such as an adoption agency, government agency, or lawyer to handle all communications. An open adoption includes some line of direct communication between the birth...

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References

  • Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. (2008). International adoption facts.

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  • Johnson, S. M., & Whiffen, V. E. (Eds.). (2003). Attachment processes in couple and family therapy. New York: Guilford Press.

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  • McCabe, B. E. (2009). Adult adoption: The varying motives, potential consequences, and ethical considerations. Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal, 22, 300–319.

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  • Schwartz, A. E., Cody, P. A., Ayers-Lopez, S. J., McRoy, R. G., & Fong, R. (2014). Post-adoption support groups: Strategies for addressing marital issues. Adoption Quarterly, 17(2), 85–111.

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  • Vandivere, S., Malm, K., & Radel, L. (2009). Adoption USA: A chartbook based on the 2007 National Survey of adoptive parents. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA

    Sarah Swanson

  2. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Adam R. Fisher

Authors
  1. Sarah Swanson
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  2. Adam R. Fisher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam R. Fisher .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, IL, USA

    Jay Lebow

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, IL, USA

    Anthony Chambers

  3. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, IL, USA

    Douglas C. Breunlin

Section Editor information

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Jay L. Lebow Ph.D.

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Swanson, S., Fisher, A.R. (2021). Adoptive Families. In: Lebow, J., Chambers, A., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_1163-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_1163-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

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