Books on Adoption

We’ve put together some suggestions of books about adopting – from how to navigate the adoption process to real life stories of adoption – that you might find useful if you are considering adopting a child in England.

Adopting a Child – Jenifer Lordchildpainting2_rsbodyimage

This is a helpful guide to adoption in the UK and describes what adoption means and how to go about it. Published by CoramBAAF, revised edition 2013.

The Adopter’s Handbook – Amy Neil Slater

This practical guide helps adopters to help themselves through the adoption process and beyond. Published by CoramBAAF, revised edition 2013.

An Adoption Diary – Maria James

This moving real life account of an adoption chronicles every aspect of the adoption process from the moment when the decision to adopt is made following years of infertility. Spanning almost four years the diary covers the assessment procedure, the workshops, the heartache of months of waiting, and the final match with a two-year-old boy who lives over 200 miles away. The author talks openly and honestly of the difficulties of a long distance adoption, explores what it feels like when an adoption finally happens and charts the first few months of family life. Published by BAAF in 2006.

What to Expect when you’re Adopting – a practical guide to the decisions and emotions involved in adoption – Dr Ian Palmer

A warm and sensitive guide offering parents the tools they need to decide if they’re ready to adopt, from leading psychiatrist Dr Ian Palmer. This book does not gloss over the realities of the adoption process, but rather leads parents through the many stages and emotional aspects involved and offers practical and sensitive advice. Dr Ian Palmer also deals with the issues of single-parent adoption, infertility and, unusually, the option of remaining childless. Published by Vermilion in 2009.

The Pink Guide to Adoption for Lesbians and Gay Men – Nicola Hill

A helpful guide for gay and lesbian adopters illustrated throughout by quotations and real life experiences. Published by BAAF in 2012.