Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. Childhood, attachment issues and child rights: 1. Constructions of childhood: constructions of self/Reesa Sorin and Greta Galloway. 2. Strengthening family efforts for helpless children/Louise Anita Williams and Valji Bagda. 3. The effects of institutional living on attachment/Chivonne Hagan. 4. The UK's experience and status on the rights of children/Peter Selman. II. Adoption: some global issues: 5. Open adoption: an innovative practice option/Paul Sachdev. 6. Adoptions in and to the United States/Josephine A. Ruggiero. 7. Negotiating identity: post-colonial reflections on transnational adoption/Pal Ahluwalia. III. Ethical issues: 8. Forgotten ethics and values in modern procreation/Rene A.C. Hoksbergen and Jan J.F. Ter Laak. 9. Ethical Dilemmas in adoption counselling/Nilima Mehta. 10. Escorting children in inter-country adoptions/Victor Groza and Curtis Proctor. 11. Heritage camps and heritage tours/Christine Futia. 12. Ethical practices and safeguards in adoption placement/Jagannath Pati. Annexes. Index. "This compendium of twelve papers addresses the key issues pertaining to child adoption in global perspective. It deals with issues related to construction of childhood, basic nature of child, effects of institutional living on attachment, and the rights of children. Focusing on open adoption and transnational adoption, the contributors also deliberate on ethical issues and safeguards in adoption placement. The book will be useful for adoption agencies, students of social work and researchers.