Dear Reader: This is a fascinating “read,” especially for those people deeply entrenched or working within the adoption community. Here’s the synopsis and a link to the material –

“Untangling the Web: The Internet’s Transformative Impact on Adoption” is the initial publication of a multiyear research project on the subject by the Donaldson Adoption Institute. Its key findings include:

• There is a growing “commodification” of adoption on the web, replete with dubious practices, and a shift away from the perspective that its primary purpose is to find families for children.
• Finding  birth  relatives is becoming increasingly easy and commonplace, with significant institutional and personal implications, including the likely end of the era of “closed” adoption.
• A growing number of young adoptees are forming relationships with birth relatives, sometimes without their adoptive parents’ knowledge and usually without guidance or preparation.
• A rising number of websites offer useful, positive resources and expedite the adoption of children and youth who need families, notably including those with special needs.
• http://adoptioninstitute.org/research/2012_12_UntanglingtheWeb.php