Abstract

Adoption is a big step which can change the whole dynamics of the family. It is crucial that parents understand the impact it has when new sibling relationships are forged and an adoptee becomes a part of the family.

Welcoming a New Brother or Sister through Adoption is a comprehensive yet accessible guide that describes the adoption process and the impact of adoption on every member of the family, including the adopted child. It prepares families to have realistic expectations and equips them with knowledge to deal with a host of situations that may arise, addressing difficult questions head-on: 'Did we make the right choice by adopting?', 'How is this affecting our 'typical' children?', 'Will our adopted son or daughter heal?' are explored and solutions discussed in detail. All this is accompanied with real life stories and direct quotes from children, which make it a realistic and insightful resource.

This book is vital reading for adoptive families and professionals who work with them including social workers, counselors and psychologists.

James has produced an extremely practical, theoretically based book which will have many parents laughing and sometimes, crying...Whether you are interested in pre-placement issues, post-placement concerns, disruption/dissolution, sexual acting out, blending siblings, or marital stress, Welcoming a New Brother or Sister Through Adoption will have something to offer you...I believe that every adoptive family will be better able to deal with difficulties that their children and family may be experiencing. Adoption agencies should consider making this book mandatory reading as a component of their pre-placement training program, and anyone who works with adoptive families will appreciate the deep insight that Arleta James has shared with us.
Extracted from the foreword by Gregory C. Keck
Arleta James, MS, PCC, has been an adoption professional for many years. She spent several years as a caseworker for the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption Network placing foster children with adoptive families and then as the statewide Matching Specialist. She now works as a clinical therapist at the renowned Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, USA, providing services for attachment difficulties, childhood trauma and issues related to adoption. She was the 1999 Pensylvania Adoption Professional of the Year.