Adoption Status and Disparities in the Familial Configurations of Children

Keywords

family processes, household living arrangements, family demography, family policy, immigration/migration, adopted children

Abstract

Few studies have examined the familial configurations of adopted children and how these configurations differ from those of nonadoptees. As a result, this study examines the relationship between adoption status and inequalities in the family structure of children. Our results indicate that adopted children are more likely to live in nuclear families compared with nonadopted children. Part of this is driven by the comparatively limited presence of adoptees in single-mother, single-father, and other types of nonnuclear families. Foreign-born adoptees are more likely to live in nuclear families compared with U.S.-born adoptees, but adoptees from racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to live in such families compared with their White counterparts. These race-ethnic inequalities in family structure are however moderated by foreign-born status. Accordingly, our results indicate that foreign-born Black and Hispanic children have the highest odds of residing in nuclear families among the U.S. population of adopted children.

Original Publication Citation

Thomas, Kevin J. A. and Ashley Larsen Gibby. 2019. “Adoption Status and Disparities in the Familial Configurations of Children.” Journal of Family Issues 40(4):464-487.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2018-11-15

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7597

Publisher

Journal of Family Issues

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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