Adoption Help

Spread the Word

adoptive families needed

Looking for Adoption Help?

Looking for adoption help? Read on to learn more about what to consider when you begin a transracial adoption. Adoption Associates, an adoption agency in Michigan, has comprehensive educational training resources for families who want to adopt. During the home study process, your caseworker will talk with you about transracial adoption. Are you wondering how transracial adoptive families are defined? Transracial adoptive families consist of children of one race or culture being raised by parents of a different race or culture.

Define Culture

How is “culture” defined? 
Culture is defined in many different ways; however, most definitions contain the following elements: shared language, race, customs, beliefs, values, social status, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, and others. So, with this broad definition, every person is a part of several different cultures. And, when you interact with people from a different culture than your own, it can create discomfort and anxiety. However, when you interact with people of your own culture, it brings comfort and a sense of belonging.

What do these definitions mean when it comes to parenting children of other cultures and races? White parents of children of a different race have the responsibility to help their children define themselves as a member of their own genetic racial community. Whether of a single race or a mixed race, children either feel “a part of” or “separate from.” Also, without connection to their own roots, a black child being raised in a white world will feel “separate from” the white people surrounding him who look different than him. He will also feel “separate from” the black people he looks like, who have the same cultural background, but he has no connection to.

Your Child Needs Connection

Your child needs connection to those that have shared culture and race. This is vital to his healthy development. No matter how he is raised, society will assign him to the race and culture of being black, and without connection, he will feel lost and isolated, not fitting in with the white culture he was raised in and not fitting in with his own racial culture. By connecting your children to their own race and culture, they will learn to grow in their roots while incorporating what they are learning from you about their identity in a transracial home. They become bicultural, bridging the gap between the two worlds.

Above all, children who live in transracial homes need parents who recognize their need to know their cultural roots. Furthermore, it’s important to interact with people of your child’s race. Talk about race and culture often. Choose integrated schools that offer unbiased educational materials. Stand up to racism and discrimination, and have a ‘no tolerance policy’ for it. Live in a diverse, integrated neighborhood. Definitely, make your home a bicultural home.

Our adoption education plan provides adoption help for families who are adopting transracially. See our education plan HERE.

Contact us about your desire to parent a child of a different race by calling 800-677-2367 or send an email. We’re here to provide adoption help as you go through the process and beyond.

Related Posts