Transracial Adoption
Exploring Child Welfare by Joan Shireman
Transracial adoption refers to the adoption of a child of one race by
parents of another. It is perhaps the most controversial form of adoption
today. Because of the large numbers of African American children in foster
care, and because of the large numbers of white families wishing to adopt,
most transracial adoptions are of African American children by white
parents Questions are raised about the ethical justification for the
socialization of African American children, or any other children of
color, by white parents-questions both about the ability of white parents
to prepare children of color for the racism they will encounter, and
questions about the impact on a culture when its children are taken.
The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1975 protects Native American children
from adoption outside their own community, giving the child's tribe a
dominant voice in planning. A strong protest by the National Association
of Black Social Workers in 1972 effectively stopped transracial adoption
of African American children for two decades. But by 1994 there were
thousands of children in foster care awaiting adoption, and clear evidence
that long stays in foster care were detrimental. Children were waiting
a median of two years and eight months before adoption, with African
American children waiting longer than other children. The Multi-Ethnic
Placement Act of 1995 is intended to increase adoption opportunities
for these children by removing the barrier of same-race placement policies.
Outcome studies of transracial adoptions present puzzling results. Empirical
studies that follow a cohort of children longitudinally through adolescent
years find that transracially adopted children are developing in the
same manner as same-race adopted children. Studies of adoption disruption
do not find race to be a discriminating variable. Yet there are numerous
anecdotal stories of very serious difficulties in establishing racial
identity among transracially adopted children. Whether or not the best
interests of children are served by transracial adoption is currently
open to debate. The readings below provide further ideas.
Books and articles
Brooks, D., R. P. Barth, et al. (1999). "Adoption and Race: Implementing
the Multiethnic Placement and the Interethnic Adoption Provisions." Social
Work 44(2): 167-178.
Falk, L. (1970). "A Comparative Study of Transracial and Inracial
Adoptions." Child Welfare 49: 82-88.
Fanshel, D. (1972). Far From the Reservation. Metuchen, NJ, The
Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Fiegelman, W. and A. Silverman (1983). Chosen Children: New Patterns
of Adoptive Relationships. New York, Praeger.
Grow, L. and D. Shapiro (1972). Black Children, White Parents: A
Study of Transracial Adoption. New York, Child Welfare League of
America.
Ladner, J. (1977). Mixed Families. New York, Doubleday.
McRoy, R. G. and L. Zurcher (1983). Transracial and Inracial Adoptees--The
Adolescent Years. Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas.
Shireman, J. (1988). Growing up Adopted: An Examination of Major
Issues. Portland, OR, Regional Research Institute, Portland State
University.
Shireman, J., P. Johnson, et al. (1987). "Transracial Adoption
and the Development of Identity at Age Eight." Child Welfare 66:
45-55.
Simon, R. and H. Altstein (1992). Adoption, Race, and Identity: From
Infancy through Adolescence. New York, Praeger.
Simon, R. J. and R. M. Roorda (2000) In Their Own Voices: Transracial
Adoptees Tell Their Stories. New York: Columbia University Press
Simon, R. J. and H. Altstein (2000) Adoption Across Borders: Serving
the Children in Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions. Lanham,
MD:Rowman and Littlefield, Publishers.
Steinberg, G. and B. Hall (2000) Inside Transracial Adoption. Indianapolis,
In: Perspectives Press
Vroegh, K. (1997). "Transracial Adoption: How it is Seventeen Years
Later." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 67(4): 568-575.
Zastrow, C. (1977). Outcome of Black Children/White Parents Adoptions. San
Francisco, CA, R&E Research Associates.
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