In The News
Should there be Transracial Adoption?
by
Ronald G. Helms and Colleen Finegan
Adoption has long been a socially accepted practice in the U.S. The concept of transracial adoption has historical roots going back to Colonial America. The practice may involve the adoptive parents are racially different from the adoptive children. In the United States, this issue or concern is the placement of children of color or children from another country with Caucasian adoptive parents.
Historically, the industrial revolution brought increasing numbers of immigrant children who were often in need of care and adoption. In addition, a growing concern for child welfare led to the overhaul of many state and federal statutes. Many of these legislative changes developed in the second half of the 19th century.
The civil rights movement of the1960’s greatly accelerated this practice. More and more white couples were willing to raise children of color.
The Howard M. Metzenbaum Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/mepaipp.htm (MEPA) “prohibits an agency or entity that receives Federal assistance and is involved in adoptive or foster care placements from delaying or denying the placement of a child on the basis of the race, color, or national origin of the adoptive or foster parent, or the child involved.” In 1996, Congress enacted an amendment to MEPA called the Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP). This forbids agencies from denying a child adoption solely based on race or nation origin.
The debate centers on color, rather than the child. Should an African- American child, for example, be placed with white parents at all? What if those parents have provided a foster home for that child? What if the parents have never in their lives experienced discrimination because of the color of their skin? How will they possibly relate to and raise a child aware of the prejudice that will surround him or her throughout life? And, most importantly, is it realistically possible to take race out of the equation in an adoption or foster care situation? More often than not, the focus of the participants in this discussion is shifted from the ultimate goal--to provide a stable, loving environment for a growing number of children legally available [FN7] for adoption [FN8]--to a debate focused on and promoted by racial politics. R. Richard Banks discussed this model of racial politics in a recent article:
I propose that facilitative adoption and race matching are typical of the race-based claims of whites and blacks, respectively. The race-based claims of whites are typically colorblind while those of blacks are often race- conscious. The race-and-adoption controversy thus suggests a model of race politics in which race-based claims predominate, but in which the race-based claims of whites are not perceived as being race-based. Our asymmetrical identification of race-based claims produces a cycle of race politics in which the race-based claims of blacks appear ever more illegitimate for transgressing the colorblind ideal, while the race-based, but ostensibly colorblind claims of whites appear even more commendable and *1603 politically legitimate. [FN9] http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/transadopt.html
How many families are adopting transracially?
* The most recent estimate of transracial adoption was performed in 1987 by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The findings revealed that only 8% of all adoptions include parents and children of different races.
* 1% of white women adopt black children
* 5% of white women adopt children of other races
* 2% of women of other races adopt white children (estimates include foreign-born). (Stolley, 1993)
* An estimated 15% of the 36,000 adoptions of foster children in FY 1998 were transracial or transcultural adoptions. (US DHHS, 2000)
What does the research show?
* The research that has been done to date suggests that transracial adoption is a viable means of providing stable homes for waiting children. Nearly a dozen studies consistently indicate that approximately 75% of transracially adopted preadolescent and younger children adjust well in their adoptive homes. (Silverman, 1993)
* In a 1995 study, transracial adoption was not found to be detrimental for the adoptee in terms of adjustment, self-esteem, academic achievement, peer relationships, parental and adult relationships. (Sharma, McGue, Benson, 1995)
http://www.calib.com/naic/pubs/s_trans.htm
Bibliography
Hollinger, J.H. and The ABA Center on Children and the Law National Resource Center on Legal and Courts Issues. (1998). A guide to the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 as amended by the Interethnic Provisions of 1996. Washington, DC: American Bar Association.
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.
WEB LINKS:
Adoption: A Family Choice http://www.gocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2940/interracial.html
This site provides a musical background while exploring several components of transracial adoption.
MULTIETHNIC PLACEMENT ACT
AND INTERETHNIC ADOPTION PROVISIONS
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/mepaipp.htm
The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) and Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP) were implemented in the spirit of removing barriers to permanency for the vast number of children in the child protective system, and to ensure that adoption and foster placements are not delayed or denied based on race, color or national origin. The purposes of MEPA-IEP are to:
* reduce the length of time that children wait to be adopted,
* facilitate the diligent recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families, and
* eliminate discrimination on the basis of the race,color, or national origin of either the prospective parent or the child.
Transracial Adoption.com
http://www.transracialadoption.com/
While a commercial site, this site provides a wealth of information for researchers and potential transracial adoptive parents. This site is well worth a visit.
Inside Transracial Adoption
http://www.pactadopt.org/inside.html
Inside Transracial Adoption provides creative, confident, pro-active, and provocative guidance for parents who are experienced veterans or who are considering transracial adoption for the first time. Whether through domestic or international adoption the authers offer direction for building close, loving, and very real families consisting of individuals who are proud and culturally competent members of differing races.
TEXT REFERENCE
Multicultural Education of Children and Adolescents, 3/e
M. Lee Manning, Old Dominion University
Leroy G. Baruth, Appalachian State University
http://www.ablongman.com/professional/catalog/academic/product/1,4096,0205297609,00.html
Review the chapter on Issues for the twenty-first century and discuss several of the issues which may affect transracial adoptive practices in the U.S.
DISCUSSION FORUM
Based on current research, what might be the benefits and concerns for transracial adopted children when these children become adults?