It is maintained that Great Britain at its very heart is a racist society, in spite of the fact that there has been a permanent black community in Great Britain for 500 years, and members of this commmunity have made positive, productive contributions to British society. In 1731, so many blacks were apprenticed to tradesmen that the Corporation of…

The key dependent variable in adoption research is the child's mental health, in the short and the long term. Defining mental health as the development of basic ego strength and a feeling of self-worth, which enable an individual to cope with stresses later in life, this book focuses on how well adolescents and young adults have fared in adoption.…

This book examines the adoption process in Great Britain, recounting first-hand experiences to take the reader through each stage of the process from the adopter's point of view. The book also examines the success and failure of several types of adoption. The chapters are: (1) "You Want to Adopt"; (2) "First Meetings, First Months,…

A total of 52 Afro-Caribbean, mixed-race, and Caucasian children adopted by Caucasian parents were surveyed 12 years after their adoption. Most of the adolescents and young adults in all three groups scored favorably on measures of adjustment and identity. There was no evidence that transracial adoptions led to maladjustment. (MDM)

Evaluated four years of the Children's Society intermediary service for birth relatives through a survey of adopted adults. Examined specifically the impact of contact on the adopted person, adoptive parents, and birth relatives. Found that the majority of respondents felt that adopted adults should be given the opportunity to receive information…

Notes differences between American and British contexts and formulations of adoption payments. Highlights key findings from a research project that evaluated the impact of adoption allowances in Scotland. Gives particular attention to children's views about being adopted with financial help. (GH)

Notes that adoption agencies have developed few specific policies on the issue of lesbian and gay adoption. Provides an overview of key considerations about homosexual adopters, including beliefs and values of agency professionals, the legal and social ramifications of adoption into a relationship not based on marriage, and possible consequences…

Examines effective permanence planning for children, focusing on the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) strategy. Cites the importance of maintaining children with their birth families, while recognizing that some children remain too long in damaging family settings. Examines the issues of child attachment and contact. Calls for an…

Points out that, contrary to the British Government's argument in the White Paper that services can be changed with no additional funding, the commitment of substantial financial and human resources are needed to provide adequate postadoption services. (SW)

Demographic and background characteristics, pre-adoption motivation, and post-adoptive adjustment of 20 British families who had, among them, adopted 23 mentally retarded children were explored through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Children in the sample had been in their adoptive homes an average of 17 months; 48% were under 5…

Discusses Britain's Children Act, which requires child welfare authorities to give due consideration to a child's religious background when placing a child or planning for its future. Reviews some child welfare practice and policy implications of this regulation. (HTH)

Explores the child welfare placement needs of children of black mixed parentage, focusing on research evidence relating to the overrepresentation of children of mixed parentage in care, social workers' perceptions of ethnic differences relative to their own ethnic groups, and possible trends in placement of children of mixed parentage. (HTH)

This editorial looks at the special support needs of parents with learning difficulties in Britain in the context of the new Adoption and Children Bill, which encourages and speeds adoption. The bill is seen as a major threat to families headed by a parent with learning difficulties. It urges greater attention to providing the known and effective…

Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act provides for the assessment of adults for parenthood on both medical and social grounds, justified by concern for the welfare of the child. Compares these assessments with those undertaken in the adoption process and questions the utility of such decisions for the welfare of the children involved.…

Children in out-of-home care risk losing contact with parents and others despite emphasis of the Children Act 1989. Contact is lower for children in foster care and as family support diminishes. Contact after adoption increases as methods of indirect contact developed by adoption agencies are implemented; lost contact for all children can be…