Adoption in the U.S. - Do Whites Need Race-Specific Training?

[Athena]

With black children accounting for roughly 30% of children up for adoption but only 15% of the total number of children within the U.S., trans-race adoption is a necessity. Approximately 20% of black children adopted every year are adopted by white families and, while love may be colorblind, adoption should not be, according to a report released by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.

The reality of the situation is this: Families that adopt minority children experience more difficulty than families who adopt within their race. In a society where "diversity" is the name of the game, this may be a tough truth to swallow, for some, as it illustrates very real cultural differences between racial factions in America.

The report, endorsed by the North American Council on Adoptable Children, the Child Welfare League of America, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the National Association of Black Social Workers, suggests changes to the 1994 Multi-Ethnic Placement Act that disallows race to be considered during the adoption process. It advocates "color-consciousness" in shaping adoption policy going forward. More specifically, the report suggests that the law be amended to allow race to be considered, which would also allow race-specific pre-adoption training.

But, aren't we going backward? We've fought tooth and nail to ensure that race isn't a determining factor in anything. Why should adoption be any different? Some are concerned that, if the proposed changes are made, race could very well become the primary consideration in regard to adoption, undermining the importance of other factors.

What do you think? Should the law be amended to allow the system to better prepare adoptive parents with race-specific training, or should we continue to leave race out of it?

Article (http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/27/tranracial.adoption.ap/index.html)

[Rotten Apple]

I wonder why this only applies to minorities?

I am Hispanic, my daughter is white. She looks nothing like me and strangers comment on it all the time.

How would they have trained me to raise her differently? I can't think of one single way.

On the other hand. I had a co-worker who was Asian. She was adopted by a black family. She told me she wished they never would have adopted her. She loved her family, but she had a hard life because she was treated differently by the community. It was a hard thing for me to hear at the time, I had just brought my baby home. But I can understand where she is coming from. It wasn't her family. It was the outside ignorant community.

In my opinion, the only hardship a child adopted by a different race has are the ones they have belonging to a world where people freak out at anything different. It makes the child feel like something is wrong with them. Training parents to handle these kinds of reactions to raise a healthier happier child is ok by me.

Not adopting a child out because there aren't any parents of the "right" race is not ok by me. Especially when it is only because there are too many uptight ignorant people out there. Training parents to raise their child of another race to be more like that "race" reeks of trying to force stereotypical characteristics onto a blank slate. Its sick.

I am surprised that The NACoAC would support this legislation. I am a member of SCCoAC and I know many parents of Chinese baby girls and black children that would rip these people a new one.

[Athena]

That's valid. I was kind of disappointed that the article did not really explore what type of training these parents would receive. Like you suggested, there's a HUGE difference between "here's what you can expect from society" training and "black kids 101" training. If the training is created to educate the parent on what black culture is like, for example, I'd be really worried about what kind of impact that could have on the upbringing. White people already overcompensate in the race-relations department, in my opinion.

I think they focus on the white/black thing because it's more common than some other combinations and, maybe, because the two cultures are seen to be more conflicting than, say, whites and Asians or Asians and Hispanics, etc. But that's just conjecture. I did notice that the article didn't even address any other transracial combinations.

[Raq me darkly]

I heard this story on NPR today on Talk of the Nation (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90858428). They brought up some interesting issues about this. I have a friend who cannot have kids (transplant recipient). She and her husband want to adopt a Chinese child. They are having problems, 1) because she is a transplant recipient and 2) because they are a black/white couple (but these are issues mainly with the Chinese agencies, though I doubt they would have much of an easier time here)

(I've asked another couple I know why they wanted to adopt a foreign child - they now have 2 chinese girls - and they said they did not want to "risk" having a biological parent come after them and demand the child back or other issues that might cause a DD front page.)

[maryhaze]

ok, i'm a white transplant recipient with 2 adopted mixed race kids. oldest 9 is mexican/cherokee & the youngest 8 is half black. we do try to incorporate racially appropriate things into the otherwise typical way i ignore them. my ex goes to africa (don't ask) often & we are very good friends with one of the few ethnic store owners in this town. in very white NH. i think good parents will be good parents no matter what the race. i suppose mixed race adoptions could be harder, i've never noticed it, but for someone who cares what other people think, it could be harder. & i'm actually stupid enough to try this again. because at 46 yrs old, i need to be up all nite with a screaming baby. all i know is i want a girl & that she'll 99% be mixed race. because color doesn't matter to me or the ones i've got now & Goddess help anyone who makes it a factor when i'm around. cuz i'm a bitch.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

My kids are well aware of their lineage (Norwegian English German) and some cultural aspects of those. But I can't imagine where it would place in our daily lives. Although I could have made it so.

Maybe I am naive in thinking that there isn't anything different about black, hispanic, native american, asian, or whatever babies. I don't think they have some ingrained need to <insert racially inappropriate stereotype here>. The only thing I can think of are maybe race-related diseases.

The choice to introduce the culture of their race should be up to the parents and the children. Some kids may crave it while others couldn't care less.

No way on the race-specific training. They need training about their white-bread community reactions and other similar problems that come from that culture.

[CPL CHUD]

Whatever training they recieve isn't going to placate the way the kid might feel from dealing with ignorant racist drivel. The foster program shouldn't have to adopt racist attitudes in response to the community by relating different training for adopting different skin colored children; it reinforces the gut reaction of treating individuals based on inheritance rather than merit. If you're adopting a child of different skin pigmentation chances are you aren't racist.

[swivel]

It's bullshit that so much pressure is put on adoptive parents to be "perfect" when irresponsible fucks are screwing like rabbits and neglecting their own kids.

We have too many children without homes to be so fucking picky. Why don't we focus instead on the fact that half of our black males fail to graduate highschool. And these are kids with parents that presumably don't need any training because they are also black. Huh?

Leave adoptive parents alone. Unless you want to annoy them by throwing money in their general direction. Make the adoption process easier, and reproducing harder.

[Nell]

I haven't adopted but I am a white woman that has 1 girl that is peruvian and chinese, and one girl that is mexican. I was aware of the way some people treated them differently, and I do try to give them a sense of their cultures. Like with Nadia, I got her a peruvian barbie. And I buy books and videos and stuff. I had them really young and I was lucky that my stepdad is mexican, so he is there for questions.

What I was wondering is, should biological parents of mixed race kids be required to also have race training? Or is it enough that these kids are loved and wanted, no matter the color of their parents?

[maryhaze]

It's bullshit that so much pressure is put on adoptive parents to be "perfect" when irresponsible fucks are screwing like rabbits and neglecting their own kids.

We have too many children without homes to be so fucking picky. Why don't we focus instead on the fact that half of our black males fail to graduate highschool. And these are kids with parents that presumably don't need any training because they are also black. Huh?

Leave adoptive parents alone. Unless you want to annoy them by throwing money in their general direction. Make the adoption process easier, and reproducing harder.

thank you! you said what i was trying to. i love those rotten heathens & they don't care that i'm not perfect. my oldest is actually just like me personality-wise. his incubator couldn't possibly understand that little monster as well as i do.

[celtic friend]

No to the race training.
I also am curious as to what the courses would be? Ebonics? Hair differences, what?
Race shouldn't be a factor, if the child will be loved and taken care of should be.

[w8ng4msrgt]

Another article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/26/AR2008052601837.html?hpid=topnews)

[Rotten Apple]

Another article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/26/AR2008052601837.html?hpid=topnews)

As far as I can tell, these studies are singling out black children and other minorities because they are less likely to be accepted into a white community. I can see that. Happens all the time.

And as far as race not being discussed that is a surprise to me. I was flat out asked when we started the adoption process if we would be willing to take in a child of a different race...specifically African American. Hmmm...