Abstract: This paper examines the data of empirical research on child-parent relationship in the Russian adoptive and birth families. Empirical evidence indicates that the child-parent relationships in Russian adoptive and birth families have similarities in the degree of parental care for children, and differences in the quality of positive emotions, their direction and parenting empathy channels. This suggests that foster parents should be selected on the basis of their psychological health and readiness to raise orphaned children, as well as to be trained to improve their parenting skills.
