Demographics of families who adopt medically fragile children (California)

The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of parents who adopt medically fragile children in Los Angeles County. This entailed a review of 50 closed adoption cases from the files of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.; Most 2-parent families were Hispanic, while most single-parent families were Caucasian and African American. Most single-parent respondents were single/never married and widowed and female. Most respondents from the 2-parent and single-parent families reported incomes between {dollar}16,000 and {dollar}50,000. The majority of parents from the 2-parent and single-parent families had never adopted a medically fragile child before.; Children adopted by 2-parent families were much younger than those in single-parent families, and most children adopted by 2-parent families were male, while most children in single-parent families were female. The most frequently reported illnesses/conditions were asthma, premature/drug and alcohol exposed, seizure disorders/seizures, and developmentally delayed. Implications for social work policy, practice, and research are discussed.