Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Transracial Adoption

Moses

This may be a controversial topic for some people. I have my plus and minuses regarding transracial adoption. Part of me knows that children appreciate whoever shows them love. The problem sometimes lies with the identification process by black children adopted outside their race. I remember reading where Angelina Jolie wanted to adopt another black child, because she wanted to have her daughter Sahara to have someone to "look" like her.

It seems like adopting African babies is a "new fad" now among celebrities (Madonna, The pitts...).
Meanwhile a report ( The report,) released by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, recommends major changes to the 1994 Multi-Ethnic Placement Act. The institution states the "Act" places too much emphasis on “color blindness” and not enough on race-oriented education.

I agree with this statement 100%. There are a high number of black children who are in foster care. U.S. laws require discounting race in placing those children, but some believe race, or at least race education, should be a major factor. ( I am one of them).

The study goes on to state. Of the black children adopted out of foster care, about 20 percent are adopted by white families. The Donaldson report said current federal law, by stressing color blindness, deters child welfare agencies from assessing families' readiness to adopt transracially or preparing them for the distinctive challenges they might face.

"There is a higher rate of problems in minority foster children adopted transracially than in-race," said the report. "All children deserve to be raised in families that respect their cultural heritage."

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