THE ADJUSTMENT OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTEES IN CANADA

Intercountry adoption has become an important social policy issue in C anada. Almost unheard of until the post-World War II period, the numbe rs have grown from fewer than ten a year when records were first kept in 1970 (Gravel & Roberge, 1984; National Adoption Desk Statistics) to an estimate of more than 2400 a year in 1991 (Daly & Sobol, 1993). At the same time that the number of intercountry adoptions has increased , the number of children available for adoption in Canada has declined steadily. This means that nonrelative adoptions in Canada are now as likely to involve children who were born outside of Canada as those bo rn within Canada. Most of the children from out-of-country have a diff erent racial background from their adoptive parents, as well as a diff erent cultural background. The question for policymakers, service prov iders, prospective adoptive parents and biological parents deciding wh ether to relinquish their child is whether these crosscultural and tra nsracial adoptions work.