Placing an infant for adoption: the experiences of young birthmothers.
This article describes the experiences of 215 young birthmothers who placed their infants for adoption through 30 maternity residences and agencies in 13 states. The prebirth services they received, their immediate postbirth experiences, and several characteristics of their adoption arrangements are described. A bivariate analysis revealed that several service-procedural variables are related to social-psychological outcomes for the birthmothers at six months after the birth. Policy implications are presented.
Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
L F
LF
Cushman
D
D
Kalmuss
P B
PB
Namerow
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007086:Illegitimacy / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States