Books, booklets & multimedia

Novices, Old Hands, and Professionals:
Adoption by single people

	Price: £5.95 208 pages	BAAF, 1999 ISBN 978-1-873868-68-3

Single-parent families have consistently come under attack on the basis that this family structure is not best for children. But is this always the case? And is this the reality of most people's experiences? And what of "artificially" created families?

This study is unique and ground-breaking in that it is the first time that a research study has set out to document and comment on the experiences of single adopters and their children. Undertaken with funding from the Department of Health, it presents findings and conclusions including critical policy considerations which are intended to contribute to an ongoing debate. It will contribute substantially to the thinking of policy makers, practitioners, parents and other individuals who must decide, on the basis of evidence presented, how far this unique form of family building may contribute to the care and well-being of vulnerable children in post-millennium Britain.

"This is the first major study of single-person adoption, and one which is both descriptive and analytical. We learn about the selection policies and practices of adoption agencies, about the experiences and views of adopters and children, and about the social and legal context in which adoption by single people has to be seen. This is a splendid, sensitive and thought-provoking book."
Professor Emeritus R A Parker
Centre for Social, Policy, Dartington