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Title: Adopted Children's Outcome as Young Adults in Regards to Educational Attainment and Income
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Spear, Nicole K.
Adopted Children's Outcome as Young Adults in Regards to Educational Attainment and Income
Honors Project Paper 102, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/102
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University
Keyword(s): Adoption; Family Income; Family Size; Mothers, Education; Poverty; Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

This study explains the differences between the outcomes for children adopted by the age of two in comparison to biologically raised children using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. It analyzes the educational attainment and income earned through a competing effects framework. The Family Background Effect measures the positive effects caused by higher than average socioeconomic status of the average family with adopted children. The Family Background Effect contrasted with the negative Adoption Effect caused by a number of different factors that could work against an adopted child. Using linear regression analysis, the study finds that the Family Background Effect prevails over the Adoption Effect. Then the Oaxaca Decomposition technique breaks down the effects of each family background variable on educational attainment for the adopted young adult. It is determined that the differences in the average level of education of the respondents' mother explains over 50% of the' difference in educational attainment between adopted and biologically raised young adults.
Bibliography Citation
Spear, Nicole K. "Adopted Children's Outcome as Young Adults in Regards to Educational Attainment and Income." Honors Project Paper 102, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009.