In many respects, adopted people who had been placed transracially reported similar experiences and outcomes to those who had been in matched same-race placements. They were as likely to be still in contact or to have ceased contact with their birth relatives, and to feel positive about the outcome of the reunion.

However, a number of significant differences were observed across a range of measures. For example, 71 per cent. of people who had been placed transracially felt different to their adoptive families when growing up compared to 48 per cent. of those raised in white matched placements. Transracially placed people were more likely to begin their search at a younger age.

``Most of the time I felt I belonged and other times I felt quite clearly that I wasn't part of the family. Physically, definitely physically. When I was younger it was just mainly the physical differences when I didn't feel I belonged, because my interests were different, my capabilities very different. I was singing and dancing and doing all those kind of things. My family, they were very white, blue-eyed, very pinky. Overweight a little bit—and what I can do is nothing that any of them can do.''