You want to:

• change your life?

Adopt a child

You want to

• change your life,

• change your belief system,

• change your perception of the world,

• change your relationship with those around you,

• change your relationship with minorities,

• change your cultural experiences,

• change your ability to communicate without malice,

• change your capacity to empathize,

• change your need to self-examine personal motivations

• change your ability to advocate?

Adopt a child of another race.

If you are planning to adopt a child of another race, you will have to change more than just creating a nursery out of the extra room.

The extend of the Black Lives Matter movement reveals the degree to which Blacks continue to experience the weight of racism and white supremacy in this country.

The ugly images of police brutality directed at people of color have generated an overwhelming need for racial/cultural identity conversations.

Black transracial adoptees often feel the stress and pressure of discrimination. This is something you will need to be aware of. However, studies suggest that black and biracial adoptees living with white parents do as well as they would have if adopted by Black parents.

According to a study by Irene Powell and Mark Montgomery,  “. . . even though these Black children feel the stress, study after study shows that Black and biracial adoptees living with white parents do as well as they would have if adopted by Black parents. The literature on transracial adoptions strongly implies that postponing placement of an African American child until an African American adoptive family can be found is unlikely to have a high reward in outcomes such as family integration, behavior, academic performance, self-esteem, and even racial identity.”

Resolving racial identity confusion may be helped by racial socialization. As a parent, you should make this socialization a priority.

This is not written to discourage you in this decision. This is said in the way of full disclosure.

Transracial adoptions are complicated.

They are also glorious.

There are incredible sacrifices. There are also amazing rewards.

Contact us if this is something you have considered.

Birthmothers,

we recognize adoptive parents will need your help. This is why we advocate for open adoptions. That is why we vet adoptive parents who are capable of taking on the responsibility of embracing the diversity necessary to help their child reach their full potential successfully.