When it debuted in 1986, Raising Adopted Children was the first book to look at the issues faced by adoptive families after a child comes home. Now, in this illuminating new edition, author Lois Ruskai Melina, mother of two children by adoption--frequently referred to as the "Dr. Spock for adoptive parents"--addresses the changes that have affected adoption over the past ten years and also offers her own ever-evolving wealth of knowledge. Drawing on research in child development, psychology, sociology, and medicine, readers will discover the facts about open adoption, prenatal drug exposure, and international and transracial adoptions, as well as the answers to such critical questions as: When and how should you tell your child that he or she is adopted? How do children bond or form attachments to their adoptive parents? Thought-provoking, informative, and helpful, this up-to-the-minute handbook is a must-have for every adoptive parent and parent-to-be. It is required reading at many adoption agencies.