The Feasibility of Intrafamily and In-Country Adoptions in the Marshall Islands
This study examines the opinions and perceptions of 454 adults representing 15% of the total households in the Republic of Marshall Islands regarding intrafamily and in-country adoptions. Qualitative and quantitative methods yielded results indicating a nearly unanimous agreement for children staying within the extended family and against stranger, in-country, and international adoptions. Marked difference was found in the participants' willingness to raise kin vs. nonkin children, and an inverse relationship between education levels and willingness to raise nonkin children. Assistance necessary to support intrafamily and in-country adoptions is addressed, and preferred child welfare policies are ranked. Policy and research implications are discussed.