Laura Benkov, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Massachusetts, finds evidence that society still reveres genetic similarities in parents and children. Despite these prevailing social winds, non-traditional adoptions are on the rise. Nine percent of the 127,000 legal adoptions in the United States in 1997 involved international pairings. Furthermore, it isn’t only unmarried celebrities who are adopting children. A wide variety of women are opting to do so.
Adoptions: The Relationship Side
If you want the real scoop on adoption, consider the findings reported in The Motherhood Report by Louis Genevie, Ph.D., and Eva Margolies. The study found: Other research that adds to a fuller picture of adoption tells us that:
