Essential reading for those currently adopting a child, thinking about adopting a child, or simply interested in the subjects of adoption and parenting older children, this concise handbook provides a unique perspective on the difficult and wonderful adventure of parenting older children.

Based on both her professional experiences and her experience as an adoptive parent, Melanie Tem's This Child Is Mine: What It Means to Adopt a Child introduces readers to "claiming," the important process by which a parent says, once and for all, "This is my child."

Illustrated with fictional vignettes inspired by her experiences with hundreds of parents and children, she illuminates the key issues that come up with children and their adoptive parents.

The late Melanie Tem was not only an award-winning writer of fiction but a social worker in adoption for decades. Her paper "The Leap of Faith" has been used around the country for training prospective adoptive parents and professionals in the field.