Adoptions in West Germany: Attitudes of Social Workers

Correspondence to Dr Martin R. Textor, Hessstrasse, D-8000 München 40, Germany. Summary After a short overview of adoption services in Germany, thelegal situation, and the number of adoptions the results ofinterviews with 117 social workers arc presented. All of themwere responsible for adoptions and worked at agencies of localauthorities or welfare organizations in Bavaria. Their attitudestowards adoption as an alternative to abortion, towards birthmothers, adoptive families, searching adoptees, internationaladoptions, open adoptions, and the placement of children arcexplored. It was found that the attitudes were very heterogeneousand that they had changed during the last 20 years: The respondentsespoused a more positive view of birth mothers and searchingadoptees, considered uncommon groups of applicants (e.g. singles,remarried couples) and children (e.g. handicapped or older ones)for adoption, and took a more positive stance towards half openand open forms of adoption. They did not see adoption as analternative to abortion, were against private adoptions, andstrove for more open forms of adoption.