Transracial Adoption

Critical Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Is it appropriate to use race or ethnicity in child placement decisions?

Transracial adoption is one of the most controversial methods currently being utilized to improve the welfare of children. Advocates of transracial adoption argue that adoption provides a permanent loving home for children who would otherwise languish in the out-of-home care system, and that the race of the potential adoptive parent should be irrelevant in a “color blind” society (Courtney, 1997). They believe that what’s in the best interest of a child stuck in the child welfare system to become part of a nurturing loving family, who will provide stability to the child’s life, regardless of whether the adopting family is black or white. They feel that families wanting to adopt should not be judged on their skin color, but instead on their ability to provide a good home and to be good parents. Otherwise, black children in foster care will not find homes, leavi...