Customer Reviews

The Unofficial Guide to Adopting a Child

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This well-meaning book unfortunately presents an entire chapter on ideas about Reactive Attachment Disorder derived from the belief system of a "fringe therapy" and not on scientific understanding of early personality development. In a list of organizations that are sources of help for adoptive parents, the book includes the "Attachment Center at Evergreen", at the time of publication a hotbed of treatments involving physical restraint and emotional intimidation of children. A child's death at the hands of therapists occurred in the year that this book was published and was connected with some of the ideas discussed
by the author. I would hope that a revised version of this publication would be more cautious about this topic. Meanwhile, readers should be warned that this edition's discussion of Reactive Attachment Disorder, and of the whole issue of attachment, is profoundly inaccurate and deceptive.

Jean Mercer, Ph.D.
President, New Jersey Association for Infant Mental Health

The Unofficial Guide to Adopting a child is a extremely helpful resource. I appreciated the fact the author is the coordinator of the Vermont Adoptive Parent Support Network and is involved in adoptive training and workshops for parents and professionals. She is experienced in the challenging needs of adoptive children and has inside information. I like the way the book was formatted.

The book gives you comprehensive coverage of the necessary and vital information you'll need in order to decide if foreign or domestic adoption is right for you and if so how to go about it step by step. The information is up to date and presented in a sensible, concise, readable and applicable fashion.

I also felt the special features like: what to watch out for, moneysavers, timesavers and bright ideas were extemely pertinent and helpful. There is a very complete appendix in the back of the book with many valuable resources for both domestic and foreign adoption included.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone considering or in the process of adopting a child.

The Unofficial Guide to Adopting a child is a extremely helpful resource. I appreciated the fact the author is the coordinator of the Vermont Adoptive Parent Support Network and is involved in adoptive training and workshops for parents and professionals. She is experienced in the challenging needs of adoptive children and has inside information. I like the way the book was formatted.

The book gives you comprehensive coverage of the necessary and vital information you'll need in order to decide if foreign or domestic adoption is right for you and if so how to go about it step by step. The information is up to date and presented in a sensible, concise, readable and applicable fashion.

I also felt the special features like: what to watch out for, moneysavers, timesavers and bright ideas were extemely pertinent and helpful. There is a very complete appendix in the back of the book with many valuable resources for both domestic and foreign adoption included.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone considering or in the process of adopting a child.

Anyone considering adoption knows that it is a complicated process, no matter which adoption path you choose.

This book discusses every possible adoption choice and tells you what you need to know. International vs. domestic adoption, closed vs. open adoption, foster adoption, non traditional family adoption...it's all covered. There's even an entire section dedicated to the unique challenges of raising an adopted child.

What makes this book unique is the tidbits of "inside information" that are included in the margins and throughout the text. It might be a tip from an adoption attorney, the story of a family with several adopted children...anything the official adoption books might not tell you. That makes this book more comprehensive than other adoption guides available. Personally, I appreciated the extra information.

Of course, the end of the book includes a glossary and a guide to adoption resources by state. This is usually included in adoption books and is very helpful for starting the adoption process, finding an adoption support group, etc.

I would recommend this book to someone who is beginning to think about the adoption choice and would like some extra ideas and suggestions.

I bought this book randomly hoping that after finding really poorly put together books on Adoption both domestic and international this one would be the key. I am currently writing a research paper contrasting and comparing international and domestic adoption for school. Trust me this book is excellent and outlining the process in detail for someone looking deeply into the multi faceted world of adoption.

I would also recommend books by Lois Gilman, Lee Varon and Myra Alperson- the multicultural resource book

The author is my mother. I feel she did a great job of listing the highs and lows of adopting a child, like me. I hope that for those who put a thought into adopting a child that they read this book and understand where she is coming from. Adopting a child could be difficult but most of the time it is worth it. Good job Mom!