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Barriers to Transracial Adoption

A survey of 405 adult transracial adoptees (conducted by the TransRacial Adoption Group, which is upfront about being “committed to promoting transracial adoptive placements as a viable form of adoption”) found that 97 percent of participants agreed with the statement that white adoptive parents are capable of developing a positive sense of cultural identity in an adopted black child, 86 percent did not believe that preference should always be given to an African-American couple when both a black and a white family were interested in adopting a particular black child, and 93 percent thought it was not necessary for agencies … Continue reading →

Historical Policies and Current Legislation Regarding Transracial Adoption

The Adoption History Project states that until the late 1940s, many African-American children were simply not counted in formal adoption statistics at all. The largely African-American states of Louisiana and Florida, in fact, did not record an adoption of an African-American child (by a family of any race) for decades before 1950. African-American parents felt discriminated against by most adoption agencies, yet were reluctant to establish same-race programs for themselves while they were seeking integration, not segregation, in other aspects of life. According to The Adoption History Project, the first recorded adoption of an African-American child by a white family … Continue reading →

Is Transracial Adoption Necessary?

The National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) issued a statement against transracial adoption in 1972, excerpted below. “Black children belong physically and psychologically and culturally in black families where they can receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future. Only a black family can transmit the emotional and sensitive subtleties of perceptions and reactions essential for a black child’s survival in a racist society. Human beings are products of their environment and develop their sense of values, attitudes, and self-concept within their own family structures. Black children in white homes are cut off … Continue reading →

Weaving God’s Love Across Cultures: Transracial Adoption and Faith (Book Review)

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When the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America committed to exploring strategies for ministry to different ethnic groups, a group of adoptive parents and adoptees saw an opportunity to educate faith communities about adoption and provide resources to help families connect their adoption experiences with spiritual issues. Interested Christians of several denominations and ethnicities gathered in Seattle in the fall of 2002 to share ideas. The result was the book Weaving God’s Love Across Cultures: Transracial Adoption and Faith, edited by Rev. Mary Lindberg, containing contributions by adoptive parents, teen and adult adoptees, clergy, social workers and even a Korean birthmother. … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Different Skin Colors

Ed Paul and I dialogue regularly about Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions. While I have little experience in being adopted, I have tons of experience in being African American. This week, we discussed how to handle conversations (that the kids may bring up) about different skin colors. Being from a large extended step family, I experienced this problem growing up. Ed asked me to share my advice and experiences. Ed mentioned a comment one of his children made which I will address: Once, Matthew (has African American features) said as they were getting out of the shower, … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: When You need a Stylist

Previously, In this series of articles on care of African American children in transracial adoptions, I have discussed winter skincare, summer skincare, and basic hair care. I am not discussing advanced hair care problems for African American children. Mixed raced hair care, and care of long hair were discussed in a previous article. While caring for the hair of your African American child can be binding experience, there will be a time when you should call a stylist. Hair Problems: Sometimes in spite of doing everything by the book, your child will still have problems with their hair. These problems … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Caring for Long Hair

Previously, In this series of articles on care of African American children in transracial adoptions, I have discussed winter skincare, summer skincare, and basic hair care. I am now discussing advanced hair care problems for African American children. One of these is mixed raced hair care, which was dicussed in a previoius article. Next, I want to address care of long hair of African American Children in Transracial Adoption. African Americans, typically do not have very long hair due to the fragile nature of our hair. Therefore, anything shoulder length or longer is considered long. Here are the special things … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Mixed Race Hair Care

Previously, In this series of articles on care of African American children in transracial adoptions, I have discussed winter skincare, summer skincare, and basic hair care. It is not time to discuss advanced hair care problems for African American children. Let us talk abut “Good hair”. (Notice the quotation marks. ) Most African Americans have hair that is called kinky or nappy. Others however may have what is often referred to as “good hair”. This simply means the hair is easier to comb and has a looser curl than the average black person’s hair. This good hair is usually a … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Basic Hair care

In my previous two articles, I wrote about winter skincare and summer skincare and for African American Children in transracial adoptions. I will now address how to take care of hair that is different from your own. Generally, Negroid hair works in the opposite way as Caucasoid hair. While a black person’s hair loves oil, a white person’s hair will hate oil. I have actually joked that you could rub a black person’s hair together with a white person’s hair to get a perfect oil balance in each, as the black person’s hair will absorb the excess oil from the … Continue reading →

Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Summer Skincare

When I communicated with Ed Paul, adoption blogger here are families.com about giving advice to parents of transracially adopted African American Children, he made several requests. One of those requests was for skincare advice. I already wrote about winter skincare treatment. Now I will address summer skincare. Summer skincare for African American children is similar to winter skincare, as you need to seal in moisture after bathing. It is different however in the fact that heavy creams and lotions will melt in the sun and harm the skin. Therefore, you need a light moisturizer. I find that baby oil and … Continue reading →