Analysis of Interracial Adoption
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of adoption. Specifically, it will argue why interracial adoption should be allowed and why single parent adoptions should be allowed, as well. Interracial adoption (often referred to as "Transracial Adoption" or TRA), has become far more common in the United States, especially with all the attention stars such as Madonna and Angelina Jolie have received after adopting children from other countries and nationalities. Interracial adoption works because it helps place more children in loving homes and it helps create more understanding between the races, as well.In 1994, the Federal Government passed the Multi Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA), and in 1996, they passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act. These two acts ensured that race could not be used as a reason to deny placement of a child in an adoption or into a foster home (Simon, and Roorda 3). Thus, according to law, race cannot be used as a determining factor in an adoption, and it should not be a factor. One reason interracial adoptions became popular is the number of black children available for adoption. Traditionally, white families adopt white children, but there are fewer blacks who adopt
In fact, many social workers and adoption experts believe that interracial adoptions are not in the best interest of the child, who will lose the valuable and vital aspects of growing up with members of their own culture and race. Otherwise, all adoptions should take place, regardless of the race, gender, marital status, or age of the adoptive families. If parents cannot meet these qualifications, they should not adopt, they could actually do more harm to the child. Another writer notes, "'Because many women have pursued careers and put off marriage and having children until they are older, they find that they have reached their thirties, without a husband, but with a compelling desire for a child'" (Hanson-Cormell). However, single parent adoptions are becoming much more common, for a number of reasons. There are more children in need of homes at any one time than there are adoptive parents, and so finding new avenues to help adopt makes sense for the parents and the children. Society must learn to be more accepting of all races in order for this stigma to dissolve. As with interracial adoptions, allowing qualified single parents to adopt children only adds more possible parents to the adoption pool, and creates more loving homes for children who need them. There are also arguments against single parent adoptions - many of which focus on the lack of a "full" or traditional family influences on the child's life, and the ability of a single parent to juggle home, family, and career. The only real qualification that should be used in adoptions is the fiscal and mental ability to take care of children. One expert notes, "Blacks adopt at higher rates than their white counterparts, controlling for socioeconomic class, but there are not enough black adopters to adopt all of the black children in need of placement" (Fogg-Davis 4). Choosing who can adopt a child by race and marital status is not fair to the families or the children. Children need homes, there are people willing to give them homes, and that is all that should matter. , and this leaves more black children without adoptive families. Traditionally, these have been the children who were less "desirable" to adoptive parents.
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,
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