Many of the >339,000 international adoptees arriving in the USA during the last 25 years are now teenagers and young adults (YA). Information about their long-term social integration, school performance, and self-esteem is incomplete. Moreover, the relation of these outcomes to facets of family function is incompletely understood. We…

Racial socialization protects minority adolescents from stress associated with racial discrimination. The process of racial socialization, however, may be challenging in transracial adoptive families. White parents may struggle with preparing their children for discrimination and fostering the development of racial pride. Thus, transracially…

African American children are overrepresented in foster care by more than twice their proportion in the population (U.S. Government Accountability Office [USGAO], 2007). Building upon research relating faith (religiosity) to positive health and mental health, this study utilized cognitive and religious coping theories to examine the influence of…

Identifies two theoretical frameworks for adoption research: stress and coping literature and life-span developmental psychology. Recognizes that placing adoption within these larger study areas encourages differentiated, conditional questions such as when does adoption have which types of impacts for which types of individuals. (DLH)

Examined the nature and extent of parental stress among adoptive parents of special-needs children. Found higher than average levels of stress, particularly on subscales related to parent-child dysfunctional interactions and to raising a difficult child. Identified five stress categories: (1) child characteristics; (2) parent-child interactions;…

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate the sources and methods of dealing with stress in eight families with adopted children who have severe developmental or multiple disabilities. The families, who had each adopted from two to 30 children, included "birth children" and, in some cases, foster children as well. The research methods…

Draws upon an interview with Louise Williamson, Director of the Children's Division of the Refugee Council, to examine care and welfare issues that should be dealt with separate from the legal process of seeking asylum, although in concert with legal procedures. Includes suggestions for improving existing practices, and a list of countries of…