Examining social workers' placement recommendations of children with gay and lesbian adoptive parents

Thousands of children are awaiting placement with adoptive families in the United States. However, agency practices in selecting appropriate families are slow to change, with gay men and lesbians often facing various barriers . As such, the decision-making model often used by child-placement agencies does not adequately consider the impact of the social workers' socializati on factors and attitudes when making placement recommendations. In this art icle, the current theoretical model used in determining placements is criti cally examined and the fundamental determinants influencing social workers' placement recommendations are empirically examined from a social construct ionist perspective. Using a path analysis, significant socialization factor s are identified, potential implications for practice and policy are discus sed, and questions for further research are posed.