How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming Our Families—and America
April 1, 2011
In an updated edition, journalist turned adoption advocate Pertman presents a modern take on adoption and how it's changing American families.
Consider Kelly, a 6-year-old girl who was given up by her birth mother only later to appear as the flower girl in her wedding. Kelly's story, and that of her mother Donna, are far removed from the scene that unfolded for Sheila Hanson in 1961, when she was denied even a glimpse of her baby before he was given up for adoption. Pertman provides more than facts and resources for adoptive parents, although those are here as well. The book is a comprehensive discussion of adoption, ranging from international adoptions, attitudes toward adoption and open adoption. The author is careful not to paint a falsely rosy picture. Adoption regulations are inconsistent, and currently, only nine states allow broad access to birth records. Racist attitudes about international and interracial adoption won't go away overnight, if ever. And while the Internet has made adoption easier, there are also many online scams. Pertman doesn't sugarcoat the problems, but he also shows the immense joy of this untraditional means of building a family. The author, an editor at Adoption Quarterly, writes in a style that is easy to read, even when the stories are heartbreaking. His honest presentation will be of great help to readers sorting through a maze of emotions and potential pitfalls.
A valuable learning experience for anyone, especially the adoptive parent.
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October 2, 2000
Based on a series of articles that he wrote for the Boston Globe, Pertman combines journalistic research and personal anecdotes in this stimulating overview of the trends and cultural ramifications of adoption. His views come through loud and clear: families should be "out" about their adoptive status, children should be told that they were adopted as early as possible and all members of the adoption "triad" (birth mother, child and parents) should try to stay in close communication. Suggesting that adoptive families have benefited enormously from the country's increasing acceptance of racial diversity, Pertman argues that the controversial 1994 Multiethnic Placement Act (which stipulates that transracial adoptions can not be legally prohibited) is a strong step forward in placing the interests of the individual child over those of an abstract, race-based notion of family. He also suggests that adoption itself has helped to instigate social change: in its role as an "institutionalized means of forming non-traditional families," adoption may help gay, multiracial and single-parent families gain greater social acceptance. Even so, Pertman contends, adoptive families are still subject to many hurtful stereotypes (e.g., the irresponsible birth mother; the selfish adoptive parents). Perhaps most harrowing is his discussion of the effect of "laissez faire" capitalist thinking on adoption policy and the largely unregulated nature of the "industry" that has sprung up around it (e.g., one woman tried to sell her baby on eBay; the highest bid was $109,100). This disturbing and hopeful book will primarily attract adoptive families and policy makers, who will find that it has much to say about our changing definitions of family, race and community.