International adoptions by military families: A reexamination

Abstract

The adoption of foreign-born children by U.S. families is an increasingly common occurrence, having tripled in the past 15 years. The demographic features of international adoption have changed dramatically over the same time period. Today's foreign-born adoptees originate from a myriad of nations and cultures and present challenging medical and social problems to the practitioners faced with caring for these children and advising their adoptive families. Military families, cosmopolitan and often stationed overseas, adopt a large proportion of these children from foreign lands. Consequently, military health care providers require a familiarity with the special needs of international adoptees and the unique aspects of international adoption, as practiced by military families. We previously reported on this topic more than a decade ago. Much has changed since then, prompting this update.