The topic of contact and reunion can be a complex and emotional one for birth parents, adopted people and adoptive families. While the perspectives of birth parents and adopted people regarding contact are evident in the literature, the range of possible attitudes taken up by adoptive parents are not extensively discussed. In this paper Susan Gair explores coping positions or attitudes taken by adoptive mothers in Queensland on the topic of contact. The larger research project from which these findings are drawn was concerned primarily with using qualitative research methods to explore the mothering experiences of Queensland women who have adopted children. The research findings suggest that adoptive mothers may be better understood by considering a number of factors which impact on the taking up of certain attitudes, and by recognising the transitory rather than assuming the static qualities of such positions.
