Adopting Romanian children : Making choices, taking risks

SUMMARY This paper is a preliminary investigation into the experiences of adoptive mothers of Romanian children. As a case study of international adoption, this research focuses on the following questions: What were the important choices over which families wanted control? What risks were they willing to take to complete an adoption? How did the specific circumstances in Romania and the respondents' own efforts influence their ability to maximize choices and minimize risks? This paper is primarily descriptive, linking economic, demographic, and political factors to the very private experience of people creating families through international adoption. The respondents adopted children from Romania in 1990 and 1991. Eight married mothers were interviewed in depth. They were selected through their participation in a “mother's group,” an informal association established initially by the adoption agency through which most adopted their children. In the “group” they socialize and discuss issues relevant to adop...