Op-Ed: Adoption Policies in America Focusing on Racism

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The National Association of Black Social Workers is at it again, trying to make America color oriented instead of colorblind. It seems the legacy of the group attempts to segregate and separate children of color from whites. In the 1970's the amount of white families adopting black children went on the rise. The move inspired by "Operation Brown Baby" helped lessen the disproportionate amount of minority children in the foster care and adoption system. That was not good enough for the National Associate of Black Social Workers whose voice put complete stop to transracial adoption by 1990. The NABSW said that transracial adoptions hurt the cultural and racial identity of children and that these types of adoptions are a form of genocide.

Basically they were worried about black children becoming too white. Apparently that worry is still alive today in the segregationist communities, the same communities who discriminate against blacks who just do not seem to be "black enough." ( Example:Boyce Watkins calling Juan Williams the "eternal happy negro.")

NABSW is now trying to fight against the 1994 Howard M. Metzenbaum Multiethnic Placement Act.

(The Act) prohibits an agency that receives Federal assistance and is involved in foster care and adoptive placements from delaying or denying the placement of a child based on race, color, or national origin of the child or adoptive/foster parent. Then, in 1996 it was amended with the Interethnic Adoption Provisions. These provisions forbid agencies from delaying or denying the placement of a child solely on the basis of race and national origin.

The act has not put an end to the ever raging conflict facing any parent not of black heritage from adopting black children. NABSW is trying their same tired diatribe against placing black children in non black homes, and they are being supported by other agencies the North American Council on Adoptable Children, the Child Welfare League of America, and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption . They are demanding reforms to support "color consciousness." They wish to reform the act to include considerations of race to be issued during an adoption and to force adoptive parents into "race-oriented pre-adoption training."

I wonder if this training is anything like the "ethics" classes now being forced down the throats of white children. "White people are the only people that can be racist and if you do not understand or accept what a person of color is doing then you are racist." It is of the opinion of these groups that white families cannot possibly help black children develop a healthy bit of black identity. That in reality we live in an extremely racist society and a parent of another color could never feel that their child (who they have paid thousands of dollars in court fees to adopt because of the love they feel and the conviction they have to give them a better life) has been persecuted or discriminated against in any way so they will never protect their children who are bound to be targets of racism. The Donaldson Institute for Adoption thinks that "all children deserve to be raised in families that respect their cultural heritage."

Well a news flash for all these racist people who think that they are better than whites to raise wonderful children, our culture is American. If you want to make a stink about culture then southerners should not be allowed to adopt northerners because the culture is distinctly different. I know white people look all the same to many of these institutes, but some child from Manhattan may be culturally scarred by a Mississippi culture. A child from Cleveland should never be adopted by parents in rural Coschocton County Ohio because the culture sensitivity might not be there.

If you talk to any parent who has adopted transracially you will discover that all of them have had required training, part of which included the importance of helping their child understand and appreciate their heritage. Looking in forums and blogs some have said they watched tapes of transracially adopted children talking about their experiences. Some of these parents were rather disturbed that there was so much focus on the black/white households. Most feel that a training program is essential and a good idea but the general feeling is that of caution and lack of trust in the social worker system and training especially in regards of racism.

So what exactly is the culture specific genocide the National Association of Black Social Workers is worried about? What kind of additional training are they requiring especially when special training is already available to any and all who want to adopt a child that is not of their race. What part of black culture specifically are they worried will not translate?

Considering the fact that black leaders feel the black community is in turmoil and holding itself back, why would a black household be any better than a white, Asian, or Hispanic household?


Let's see what statistics have to say.

Racial Statistics

* In 2006 32 per cent of children in foster care were black. ( Only 15 per cent of the children in the Untied States are black.)

* 20 per cent of black children who are adopted from foster care are adopted by white parents.

Never Adopted Statistics

* 27 percent of males and 14 percent of females never adopted were incarcerated within 12-18 months after being released from foster care

* 50 per cent were unemployed

* 37 percent never finished high school

* 33 per cent received public assistance

* 19 per cent of females gave birth

* 21 per cent received mental health treatment or counseling ( before leaving care that number was 47 percent, showing that some kids stopped treatment)

Adjustment Issues

* Black adolescents adopted by Black parents reported the highest levels of depression

* Interracial adoptees had significantly higher grades and significantly higher academic expectations

* interracial adoptees had marginally more distant father relationships and higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms than their same-race adopted counterparts.

* Appearance adjustments were significant depending on what type of community the child lived in. Interracial adoptive parents that moved to a integrated community helped their child feel more comfortable with their appearance.


While many will say that the current impression of the policy change suggestions the NABSW and other groups is a knee jerk reaction, we cannot ignore the relevance of what is going on in America today. Minority communities discriminating against white communities is reinforcing racial discrimination in America, deepening the divide, and encouraging racism against whites. When the groups behind the proposition have militant views and feel the whites are attempting to commit genocide against blacks it takes away the seriousness of real issues in transracial adoption, or at least takes advantage of those issues. In reality yes, adjustment problems for adolescent and preteen children in transracial adoption it does not require an agency wagging fingers at whites saying they are too idiotic to understand. That is what it is essentially, yet another way to discriminate against the white community saying they are too stupid to help their children if ever they come across discrimination. That whites have no love for culture and would not teach their children of the specific cultural heritage. It is not a knee jerk reaction, it is an outcry against the motivation of changing the current policy.