We are passionate about placing African American babies. We are excited to place babies in homes where the parents share the same racial background. We are also very happy to place a child in a home where the same ethnicity is not shared, but where parents are committed to encouraging a strong sense of heritage and culture for their child.
When you are adopting a child outside of your racial background, you may want to ask yourself these questions:
1. Do we have friends or relatives who have diverse ethnicities?
2. What are our feelings about accepting and welcoming our child’s friendships with
those of their same race?
3. How can we encourage relationships with others who share our child’s ethnicity?
4. What are we willing to do to provide our child with a positive ethnic identity?
These questions can be used as a springboard for you to examine your own thoughts and feelings. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have the “correct” answers to these today. With education and some lifestyle changes you can become the family you want to be. Hopefully, you will identify the feelings and biases you may have and ways to overcome them.
Trans-racial adoption is not for every family. You may want to speak to others who have chosen this type of adoption as a way to build their families. If you do choose to go down this path, you need to know that you have an added responsibility as a parent. We want you to be aware and educated. Isn’t love enough, you may ask. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if love alone was enough to make every child feel loved and accepted. It takes more than love to make sure your child’s unique characteristics are valued and cultivated. Black or bi-racial children should be able to feel comfortable in their family and with their friends while still maintaining a strong sense of their ethnic heritage and culture.
We require you to complete a Family Assessment with your initial Adoption Application. This helps our staff and you assess your commitment and suitability for bringing a child of a different race into your family. The social worker conducting your homestudy will also have many questions to ask you in regards to your preparation for trans-racial adoption. They will also provide you with many resources such as books and support groups.
It is important to support ethnic pride and African-American culture in your child. Please seek resources in your community to foster this positive ethnic identity in your child. Your social worker can also provide you with specific resources. Ask our adoptive parent coordinator if you need more information. Some resources you will want to use are:
1. Books, music and magazines about black culture;
2. Artwork displayed in your home;
3. Friendships with other African-American children; and,
4. Participation in African-American cultural events.
Hair Care
One example of something you should be prepared for is haircare and skincare. African American hair must be consistently taken care of in order to achieve and maintain good results. This is a very important part of African American culture. You should not hesitate to consult a professional regarding your child’s hair. Black children have had to sit and get their hair combed out and braided up many, many, many years. This is so important. Make sure you are prepared for the extra effort it will take to make sure your child’s hair is well taken care of. We cannot emphasize this enough.
Below are some sources for you to read about Transracial Adoption.
Sharma, A.R., McGue, M.K. and Benson, P.L. (1996). The Emotional and Behavioral adjustment of United States adopted adolescents: part 1. An overview. Children & Youth Services Review, 18, 83-100.
Silverman, A.R. (1993). Outcomes of Transracial Adoption. The Future of Children, 3(1), 104-118.
Stolley, K.S. (1993). Statistics on Adoption in the United States. The Future of Children: Adoption, 3(1), 26-42.
Transracial Adoption
Transracial Adoption
Birthmother Line
1-888-212-2229
