ABSTRACT
The most reliable data on birth parents concerns their ages and the source of the referral to the adoptions branch. Even then, the data about the birth father is sketchy. The strengths and vulnerabilities that adoptive parents bring to the adoption will affect their ability to adopt to family life. Mother's education level was related to disruption, but only in foster parent adoptions, where a higher education level was associated with disruption. When it comes to adoption, the support of family members appears to be more important than the support of friends. This is consistent with the idea that extended family's approval of the adoption facilitates attachment between family members. The support of families who are knowledgeable about older child adoption can be quite encouraging. Families were asked if they knew other adoptive or foster parents at the time of the placement.
