Clarifies issues related to the practice of "risk adoption," a method designed to reduce multiple placements by putting children not legally free for adoption into foster care with adults likely to adopt them upon termination of the biological parents' rights. (RH)

Summarizes current research on the outcomes of open adoption. Discusses issues involved in conducting research on openness and offers methodological recommendations. Provides examples from one research program with adoptive kinship networks. Concludes that psychological outcomes were less related to the level of openness than to the dynamics of…