The Basics of Adoption: A Guide for Building Families in the U.S. and Canada [Hardcover]

James L. Dickerson (Author), Mardi Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2006 | ISBN-10: 027598799X | ISBN-13: 978-0275987992 | Edition: 1

With about 70,000 domestic and international adoptions each year in the United States and Canada, adoption remains a major means of building families in both countries. Its continued success can be inferred not only from the yearly statistics, but from a report issued in 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau. To the surprise of many, the report announced the existence of 1.6 million adopted children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen. Written by a former social worker who has placed hundreds of children in foster and adoptive homes and a clinical psychologist who has counseled adopted children and parents, this book offers a comprehensive look at the adoption process by merging the best of social work with the best of psychology.

Adoption can be a frustrating and intimidating undertaking for the unprepared. This guide provides prospective adoptive parents with the insider information that they need to navigate the process-and it provides students with the sort of expert opinion that they need to grasp the academic theory they receive in the classroom.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This guide for parents considering adoption walks them through the process. Dickerson, a writer and former social worker in charge of foster care and adoptions, and Allen, a psychologist, wanted to provide a book that was based on their career experience. Focusing on the US and Canada, they address parenting challenges, how to choose an agency, information needed, and home visits, in addition to international adoptions and guides to the policies of 15 countries. Also covered is advice on raising an adopted child, and single parent and gay and lesbian adoptions. An extensive list of agencies (by state) in the US and Canada is included, with contact information."

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Reference & Research Book News

Review

"The Basics of Adoption is a gold mine. This is a well-written, reasoned and reasonable guide for parents considering and actively involved in the adoption process. Practical, concise and thoughtful, this guide provides prospective adoptive parents with a step-by-step program to understand important issues and make critical decisions. The Basics of Adoption will be the only book I recommend when families are considering or involved in adoption."

(

Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. leading author on childhood disorders, founder of Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Praeger; 1 edition (September 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 027598799X
• ISBN-13: 978-0275987992
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,801,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, October 25, 2006

By 

Leah Binder "Leaf" (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Basics of Adoption: A Guide for Building Families in the U.S. and Canada (Hardcover)

This is a very disappointing, innaccurate, and poorly edited book. I found many inaccuracies and outmoded information. To name just two: the statement that adoption from China is open to single men (not the case), or the statement that international adoptions are much more complex than domestic--definitely not always true. The section on homestudies will unnecessarily scare anyone new to adoption. The book describes homestudies where social workers ask about your sex life and never give you a copy of the home study report, which is absolutely ridiculous in the experience of anyone I know who has adopted. Perhaps certain kinds of adoptions require this kind of home study, but it is rare and the book makes it sound like the norm. Since the book's promotion touts the value of its authors' backgrounds in social work and psychology, it's surprising how careless these authors are with the language of adoption, something that is generally treated with precision and sensitivity among the adoption professionals I've encountered. For instance, the chapter on international adoption begins: "...It is clear that international adoptions have become a major alternative for Americans unable to have children of their own..." As any adoptive parent will quickly caution, adopted children are indeed "our own" children. Similarly, the book characterizes different countries according to how large a "supplier" they are of children for adoption, as if these children are commodities for consumption, an offensive way to describe parents building families. The list of adoption agencies in the back is incomplete and does not list websites, though the web is now a critical tool for adoptive parents. I'm sorry to have wasted the money on this book and encourage libraries to select other titles with more accurate and complete information for adoptive parents.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Book You'll Need, December 19, 2006

By 

BlueSpeak.com (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Basics of Adoption: A Guide for Building Families in the U.S. and Canada (Hardcover)

This is the most comprehensive adoption book I've ever read. Most of
the adoption books I've come across are written by adoptive parents,
journalists, and social activists, well meaning people who have never
placed a child for adoption and have little to offer other than their
own biased opinions.

What I like about this book is the fact that it was written by people
who have professional experience with adoption. There is no substitute
for experience when it comes to adoption, and that is this book's
strength. Allen is a nationally known psychologist, and, according to
the book's introduction, Dickerson placed hundreds of children on
adoption while working for a public adoption agency.

In one volume, this book explains what the home study process is all
about; it gives insider information about the best way to seek approval
from public and private agencies; it offers practical advice for single
adoptive parents; and it lists more than 1,400 adoption agencies in the
U.S. and Canada. I found the section on international adoption
especially helpful.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Basics of Adoption: A Guide for Building Families..., December 31, 2006

By 

Sadie (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Basics of Adoption: A Guide for Building Families in the U.S. and Canada (Hardcover)

"My Favorite Adoption Book!"
My primary interest in this book was because I'm considering adopting from abroad. I've read a number of books on the subject, but they all left me wanting to know more.
I almost didn't buy this book because of a previous review on this site, but I took a chance and I'm glad I did. The reviewer must have had a personal grudge against the authors because she said they were wrong when they wrote that China accepted applications from single men. I went to the state department website on China adoptions to get the truth and, guess what, it's the reviewer who is wrong. According to the US government, China accepts "married couples (one man, one woman) and single heterosexual persons." China doesn't accept gay singles, something the book makes very clear.
This is a terrific book. It has all you'd need to know about international adoptions, with descriptions of the procedures required for each country.
Another thing I like about it is the chapter written especially for Canadians who want to adopt abroad, even in the US. I was totally shocked to learn that the US sends American children to other countries for adoption.