Child Welfare League of Amer.

Lesbian and gay foster and adoptive parents; recruiting, assessing, and supporting an untapped resource for children and youth.

Mallon (Hunter College School of Social Work, New York City) provides social work practitioners with guidelines for working with lesbian and gay people interested in fostering or adopting. Coverage includes the stereotypes and myths influencing attitudes toward lesbians and gay men as parents; how the development of policy and legislation over the years has influenced such perceptions; strategies for recruitment of lesbians and gay men as adopters and foster parents; issues of best practice at all stages of the assessment process, such as training issues and home studies that are lesbian and gay competent; and ways for social workers to more effectively support lesbian and gay adopters and foster parents once they have been matched with a child or youth. The text also contains information about national organizations and web and video resources. No subject index. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)