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This version was published on September 1, 2007
Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 28, No. 9, 1162-1188 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07300786

"I Want to Be Just Like Their Real Dad"

Factors Associated With Stepfather Adoption

Kathleen A. Lamb

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, kathleen.lamb{at}uwsp.edu

Adoption has been the purview of the social work field but has received little empirical evaluation by other family scholars. Using the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, 378 men currently cohabiting with or married to a woman with her own children are evaluated to determine whether the respondent's biological children affect the odds of adoption of his wife's or cohabiting partner's children. Logistic regression results support the social role facilitation hypothesis as the presence of resident, shared biological children the respondent fathered with the current spouse/partner is associated with greater odds of stepparent adoption. The presence of nonresident biological children fathered with a previous spouse/partner reduces the odds of stepfather adoption because men who have such children are less likely to be married. Results suggest that men who adopt their stepchildren are uncommon, and new and existing biological children play a role in formalizing relationships with stepchildren.

Key Words: adoptive • stepfather • stepfathers' biological children • father involvement


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