Edited by Nigel Lowe, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, Cardiff University, UK and Claire Fenton-Glynn, Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, Monash University, Australia

• Contents:PART I INTRODUCTION1 Introduction: an overview of adoption 2Nigel Lowe and Claire Fenton-Glynn2 Adoption in England and Wales: a brief history 14Jenny Keating3 Understanding adoption: the rights approach 38John Tobin4 The economics of adoption 59Margaret BrehmPART II THE DIFFERENT FACES OF ADOPTION5 Adoption without parental consent 80Julie Doughty6 Simple adoption 99Machteld Vonk and Ian Sumner7 Thinking about secret birth 117Sarah Trotter8 Adoption for step-families from 1926 to 2021 136Judith Masson9 A content analysis of transracial adoption in American newspapersduring 2020–21 155Elizabeth RaleighPART III THE ADOPTION PROCESS10 Fathers and the adoption process 175Claire Fenton-Glynn and Brian Sloan11 Gauging the child’s presence and voice in adoption proceedings ofchildren from care in seven European countries: applying a childequality perspective 191Hege Stein Helland, Katrin Križ and Marit Skivenes12 Compulsory adoption: an advocate’s perspective 213Andrew BainhamPART IV POST ADOPTION13 Outcomes for children adopted from care in the UK 229Julie Selwyn14 Post-adoption contact 249Mandi MacDonald15 Understanding adoption breakdown: a socio-legal perspective 270June ThoburnPART V COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON ADOPTION16 Adoption in Africa 287Julia Sloth-Nielsen17 Adoption in ‘new family forms’: emerging case law from the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights 307Lydia BrackenPART VI INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION18 The rise and fall of intercountry adoption 1995–2019 322Peter Selman19 The practical operation and impact of the 1993 Convention on theProtection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption 347Laura Martínez-Mora20 Defending intercountry adoption: an ethical analysis of the bestinterests of children and subsidiarity 366Sarah-Vaughan Brakman21 The legal mandate for ending the modern era of intercountry adoption 385David SmolinIndex

‘The Research Handbook on Adoption Law sheds light on adoption from many different relevant angles, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the adoption institution and providing relevant knowledge for students, researchers, and practitioners working with adoption, regardless of their profession. The authors present interesting critical reflections on both national and intercountry adoption – and perhaps most importantly – contributions to the discussion about the future of adoption."