Nevertheless, the popularity of eugenic ideas in America put up obstacles to the growth of adoption.
Other ancient civilizations, notably India and China, also utilized some form of adoption.
The use of adoption by the aristocracy is well documented; many of Rome's emperors were adopted sons.
On the other hand, in many African cultures, children are regularly exchanged among families for the purpose of adoption.
The period from 1945 to 1974 saw rapid growth and acceptance of adoption as a means to build a family.
Conversely, the countries that provided the most orphans for international adoption were China, Ethiopia, India, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Preserving an adopted child's heritage has become a central issue in adoption in the United States and Europe.
To be successful, adoption must address the situations of the biological parents, the adoptive parents, and the adopted children.
Government agencies have varied over time in their willingness to facilitate trans-racial adoptions.
After the finalization of an adoption, there is generally no legal difference between biological and adopted children, though exceptions may apply in some jurisdictions.
International adoptions tend to be more expensive and often incur additional costs, as the adoptive parent(s) may be required to travel to the source country.
The hallmark of the period is Minnesota's adoption law of 1917 which mandated investigation of all placements and limited record access to those involved in the adoption.
The Code of Hammurabi, for example, details the rights of adopters and the responsibilities of adopted individuals at length and the practice of adoption in ancient Rome is well documented in the Codex Justinianus.
The United States 2000 census was the first in which adoption statistics were collected.
On the other hand many adoption programs will give financial assistance to adopters, especially with their expenses.
Two innovations were added: First, adoption was meant to ensure the "best interests of the child;" the seeds of this idea can be traced to the first American adoption law in Massachusetts.
Some jurisdictions allow lawyers to arrange private adoptions, and some allow private facilitators to operate.
Ironically, adoption is far more visible and discussed in society today, yet it is less common.
Taken together, these trends resulted in a new American model for adoption.
English Common Law, for instance, did not permit adoption since it contradicted the customary rules of inheritance.
Two important influences on the reform of voluntary infant adoption have been Nancy Verrier and Florence Fischer.
Agents of Israel’s Mossad assassinated most of those who were involved in the massacre.
China had a similar conception of adoption with males adopted solely to perform the duties of ancestor worship.
Europe's cultural makeover marked a period of significant innovation for adoption.
Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents.
The nobility of the Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic cultures that dominated Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire denounced the practice of adoption.
The most common reason is that children are placed for adoption as a result of the biological parents' or parent's decision that they are unable to adequately care for a child.
Work on openness in adoption has attempted to address these issues.
The American model of adoption eventually proliferated globally.
Adoption has a long history in the Western world, closely tied with the legacy of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church.
Adoption agencies can range from government-funded agencies that place children at little cost, to lawyers who arrange private adoptions, to international commercial and non-profit agencies.
The next stage of adoption's evolution fell to the emerging nation of the United States.
Where there are charges for adoption there is often controversy, even in the case of non-profit agencies.
Other ancient civilizations, notably India and China, also utilized some form of adoption.
The enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1997 approximately doubled the number of children adopted from foster care in the United States.
Islamic regulations regarding adoption are distinct from western practices and customs of adoption.
Adoption need not always entail assuming the title of "mother" and/or "father" to an orphaned child.
From an international perspective, the culture and moral norms of the society play a role in considerations about adoption.
Adoption in Islam is not forbidden, but naming an adopted son after his adopted father is not allowed if the child's biological father is known.
Second, adoption became infused with secrecy, eventually resulting in the sealing of adoption and original birth records by 1945.
Many adoptions involve absent birth parents due to death, neglect, or other extenuating circumstances.
The issue of adoption by homosexuals and bisexuals is tied in with the debate on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
Adoption results in the severing of the parental responsibilities and rights of the biological parents and the placing of those responsibilities and rights onto the adoptive parents.