Adoption Competency in a Post-Roe v. Wade Reality

Journal of Social Work Education, July 2022

Elisa E. Madden, Monica Faulkner, Donna M. Aguiniga

Suggested Citation

Introduction

As we move into a post-Roe v. Wade reality, it is imperative that social work educators and professionals become proficient in the realities and ethics of adoption. As legal abortion becomes increasingly unavailable in the United States, some anticipate that the number of domestic private adoptions will increase. However, social workers and other social service professionals should understand that adoption is not the simple substitute for abortion that some purport it to be. Rather, it is
a complex pregnancy option that has lifelong implications for all members of the adoption triad (i.e. adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents).