Historically, adoption has reflected the values and norms of the society in which it occurred (see Chapter 1). In its modern form, emerging in the mid twentieth century, adoption was widely promoted as a compassionate and straightforward solution for children whose biological families could not provide care. However, decades of research have demonstrated that adoption is far more complex than this post–World War II narrative suggests. While adoption often offers children loving and stable families, it also introduces unique developmental, identity, and emotional challenges that complicate the idealized notion of a “forever family.”