Summary

There has been an overall decline in the number of adoptions of Australian children over the last 25 years, however past and present adoption practices continue to raise a number of challenging and complex emotional and practical issues. This book examines the adoption experience in Australia, including local and intercountry adoption and the legal processes involved; adoption trends; identity and disclosure issues; the impacts of past coercive adoption practices on unmarried birth mothers and their children; post-adoption grief and loss; and the same-sex adoption law debate. A number of personal search and reunion stories are also featured which illustrate some of the complexities and hardships involved.