1. International & Transracial Adoption
H607: Ethnicity, Context, and Family Dynamics

3. Implications of decreasing fertility
Increased pressure and investment on children
“Greying” of populations, decreasing workforce
Potential(?) for curbing of overpopulation on global resource
Results in decreased population
Developed countries still use more resources

4. Summary: Family is a dynamic system
Culture and context shape
definitions
roles of families,
the trajectory of family formation
Families and family formation are changing globally
Challenges are notions and conceptualizations of family
Changing Ideas about
children, childhood, & whether to have children
Differential population growth
The parts of the global population that are growing the fastest are not the cultures that customarily are the most politically powerful

5. The plan… Demographics—who’s being adopted from where
Perspectives—is it a problem or a benefit
History of Transracial/International Adoption
The laws/policies & their implications

6. Why Adopt? Terms of Adoption Fertility problems
Social Justice/Humanitarian/cultural
Ideologies about population growth
Terms of Adoption
Openness
Transracial/international
Infant/Older Child

7. Who is adopted? 2-4% of all children are adopted
A slight majority are kinship adoptions
1950s most adopted children were White, Euro-American infants
1960s increase in transracial and international adoptions
White families adopting minority children
Extremely rare for white children to be adopted by ethnic minority families.
Now, a significant increase in international adoptions

8. Who is adopted internationally?
Substantial increase in numbers
7000 per year in 1990s to 20,000 per year from
From where?
40% from Asian countries
23% from eastern European Countries
22% from Central/South America

9. Path of Adoption in US 1851, first adoption law passed (in MA)
By 1929, all states had statutes pertaining to adoption
Early 1900s, rise of modern adoption agencies

10. Benefits > Costs? Costs? Is adoption a risk factor? Benefits?
Overrepresented in outpatient and inpatient mental health clinics
Adoptive families may be more willing to refer
Greater threat to the integrity of family
Increased risk for academic problems learning disabilities
Benefits?
Adopted into higher SES families
Move to homes with increased stability, nurturance
Increased likelihood of being wanted
Why is transracial (esp.) and international adoption so controversial?

11. Brief History of Transracial/International Adoption
Native American history
Indian Adoption Project
From 1950s-1970s 25-35% of all American Indian children removed from their families.
“an enlightened adoption practice made possible by greater racial tolerance” (as described)
Transracial adoption history
Illegal in most states until the 1950s
Child Welfare League of America (1958) same race adoption adjust more easily
African American History
Informal-kin adoptions are most prevalent; most at risk for non adoption
1972 National Association of Black Social Workers statement
International Adoption History
War, change in political regimes, changes in family planning
The Convergence—increased controversy/increased prevalence
Decrease in available healthy Euro-American infants
Civil rights and greater tolerance
Vietnam/Korean wars

12. Laws Governing Transracial Adoption
Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (Adoption of Native Americans)
First federal law governing adoption
Strictly limits adoption of Native American children
Sees children as a collective resource for the cultural survival of the tribal culture
Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (US adoption from Foster Care—non Native Americans)
Prohibits delay of placement due to race/ethnicity
Adoption and Safe Families Act (1997).
Adoption from Foster care
Reduces time to permanence
Increases speed in terminating parental rights

13. Assumptions that led to MEPA
Minority children are at risk for NOT being adopted because Whites are not “allowed” to adopt
There is an insufficient number of minority families able to or interested in adopting African American children through traditional agencies
Minority children will benefit by prohibiting race-matching.

14. Laws governing International Adoption
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Approved by United Nations (not ratified by US)
Provide children a “right to identity”
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of International Adoption (1993)
Requires parental cultural training
Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000
Attention to how parent will meet the cultural needs of internationally adopted children

15. Result of Current Laws…
International and Domestic Native American adoptions must include plan for cultural competence
African American and Latino-American children are unprotected culturally and ethnically.
All other transracial/international adoptive parents must demonstrate cultural competence.

16. Promoting Adjustment Communicating with Child
Discussing adoption—shame vs. celebration
Supporting curiosity about birth family
Understanding child’s adoption related loss
Supporting Identity Related Activities
Supporting decision to search for birth family
Flexibility and recognition of identity processes

17. Conclusions Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute (2008)
“Finding families for African American Children: The role of race and law in adoption from foster care”
Transracial adoption itself does not produce psychological or social problems for children
Transracially adopted children and their families face a range of challenges and the manner in which parents handle them facilitates or hinders children’s development
What should families’ responsibility be for maintaining a child’s biological culture?

18. NEXT… Monday, 11/23—no class work on presentations THANKSGIVING!!
Your Presentations
Send PowerPoint presentations to Ross by 9AM on Day of your presentation
Class begins at 10AM Promptly