ABSTRACT
The authors of this book express a variety of viewpoints on the issue of intercountry adoption of children. The majority, however, endorse the pragmatic approach-that ICA is acceptable, but that there must be additional safeguards to eliminate abuses and improve standards (Masson, 2001). Several authors describe how policies about child welfare and intercountry adoption are shaped by underlying pervasive beliefs about what is best for children (see Chapters 2 and 6). The actual practices of intercountry adoption, especially as social workers are involved, are outlined as well (see especially Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 20, 21, 22, and 24). Sending countries’ perspectives are represented in Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Finally, the outcomes for internationally adopted children are addressed in Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 23. In intercountry adoption research, the voices of those most affected by adoption-the adoption triad-are rarely heard. A strength of this book is that the perspectives of adult adoptees (see Chapters 17 and 23), and especially birth parents (see Chapters 8 and 11) are highlighted, as a corrective to their frequent silencing.
