Bringing together scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this captivating and judicious Research Handbook provides diverse perspectives on the law and practice of adoption. It examines how adoption laws differ between countries and cultures, and the ongoing effects of adoption on the child, the birth parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s).

Contents: PART I INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction: an overview of adoption 2 Nigel Lowe and Claire Fenton-Glynn 2 Adoption in England and Wales: a brief history 14 Jenny Keating 3 Understanding adoption: the rights approach 38 John Tobin 4 The economics of adoption 59 Margaret Brehm PART II THE DIFFERENT FACES OF ADOPTION 5 Adoption without parental consent 80 Julie Doughty 6 Simple adoption 99 Machteld Vonk and Ian Sumner 7 Thinking about secret birth 117 Sarah Trotter 8 Adoption for step-families from 1926 to 2021 136 Judith Masson 9 A content analysis of transracial adoption in American newspapers during 2020–21 155 Elizabeth Raleigh PART III THE ADOPTION PROCESS 10 Fathers and the adoption process 175 Claire Fenton-Glynn and Brian Sloan 11 Gauging the child’s presence and voice in adoption proceedings of children from care in seven European countries: applying a child equality perspective 191 Hege Stein Helland, Katrin Križ and Marit Skivenes 12 Compulsory adoption: an advocate’s perspective 213 Andrew Bainham PART IV POST ADOPTION 13 Outcomes for children adopted from care in the UK 229 Julie Selwyn 14 Post-adoption contact 249 Mandi MacDonald 15 Understanding adoption breakdown: a socio-legal perspective 270 June Thoburn PART V COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON ADOPTION 16 Adoption in Africa 287 Julia Sloth-Nielsen 17 Adoption in ‘new family forms’: emerging case law from the European Court of Human Rights 307 Lydia Bracken PART VI INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION 18 The rise and fall of intercountry adoption 1995–2019 322 Peter Selman 19 The practical operation and impact of the 1993 Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption 347 Laura Martínez-Mora 20 Defending intercountry adoption: an ethical analysis of the best interests of children and subsidiarity 366 Sarah-Vaughan Brakman 21 The legal mandate for ending the modern era of intercountry adoption 385 David Smolin Index

‘The Research Handbook on Adoption Law sheds light on adoption from many different relevant angles, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the adoption institution and providing relevant knowledge for students, researchers, and practitioners working with adoption, regardless of their profession. The authors present interesting critical reflections on both national and intercountry adoption – and perhaps most importantly – contributions to the discussion about the future of adoption."