A practical resource for anyone thinking of establishing a family or adding to their existing one. Provides insight into the adoption process, open adoption, biracial adoption, adopting a special needs child, cultural attitudes, and how to handle adopted children's questions in later years.

About the Editors Contributors Foreword Chapter 1. Opening the Door Why Adopt? Where Do We Begin? What Are Our Options? Other Considerations in Creating a Family Introducing Personal Stories Chapter 2. Welcome Home: From the Perspective of Research on International Adoption The Northeast-Northwest Collaborative Adoption Projects (N2CAP) The Questions: The Family Questionnaire Survey Findings Summary and Concluding Remarks Chapter 3. From Couple to Family How We Got to be a Family of Seventeen And We Wait and Wait and Wait . . . The Transatlantic Phone Call We Get to Go Home We Very Quickly Become a Family of Five Addendum by Deborah Johnson Chapter 4. Coming Home from China The Potential Parents Our Experiences en Route to the Adoption Becoming Gianna Beginning Life with Gia Keeping in Touch with the Chinese Culture Gia’s Adoption Story Chapter 5. The Family I Wanted Getting Started At Long LastA Daughter Our Family Expands Taking the Plunge Once Again And Then There Were Four Suggestions for Those Contemplating a Larger Family Chapter 6. Our Daughters from China Have Two Mommies Making The Decision to Adopt The Adoption Process: A Circuitous Paper Chase Lia: Our First Daughter The Decision to Adopt Again: Getting Amy Adoptions from China Today Chapter 7. From One Wondrous Second to Countless Memorable Moments: Adventures In Adoption Adoption Wonderings Adoption Disappointments The Arrival of Zoë The Arrival of Zachary Zoë and Zachary Then and Today My Adoption Insights Reflections Today Addendum by Karina Barragar Addendum by Reese Barragar Addendum by Samantha Erin Barragar Addendum by Krista Barragar Addendum by Mildred Peterson Chapter 8. Welcome HomeLiv, Kim, and Love Swedish Adoption Why Did I Adopt a Child? Experiences en Route to the Adoption Costs of International Adoption My DaughterDelivered at Stockholm Airport My Older SonA Happy Encounter in The Land of Smiles My Youngest SonA Less Dramatic Start Who Am I? Going Back: Searching for Roots Reflections Chapter 9. A Perfect Lottery Preadoption Considerations The Adoption of Carolina Martha Linnea Kaufman Jonathan Edgar Erik Joins the Family Our Three Children Telling Children About Their Background The Present The Adoption Process Chapter 10. Adopting from Eastern Europe 101 Deciding to Adopt Finding a Child Adoption and Heritage Zoë Today Chapter 11. Miracle Sisters from Romania Our Decision to Adopt Joanna’s Half Sister Arrives Chapter 12. Adventures in Adoption: From Russia to America The Preadoption Phase The Adoption Is Finalized Peter Enters Our Hearts and Our Family Reflections Chapter 13. Four Roads Less Traveled but They All Lead Home Factors Leading to My Adoptions A Full Circle The Miracle Baby Jo Arrives on the Scene CharlesA Fight That Had to Be Won BriannaA Very Different Story A Retrospective Glance Chapter 14. Problems, Perils, and Pleasures of Multicultural and Biracial Adoption Reasons for Seeking to Adopt Abroad Multicultural Issues Coping with Uncertainties and New Realities Reflections Legal Concerns Postscript Appendix. Adoption Resources In the United States Outside the United States Bibliography Index