How Adoption Creates Transracial Families
There are many different types of adoption, just like there are many different types of families. In some families, the child or children are being raised by an aunt or grandparent. In others, the child is being raised by a single parent. Transracial adoptions are becoming more and more prevalent. Transracial families can be formed from a transracial adoption, where the child’s race, culture, or ethnic background and their adoptive parents are different, we at Adoption Choices of Missouri are here to help you navigate all types of adoptions in MO.
What Should I Look for in an Adoptive Family?
As a birth mother, we realize that choosing an adoptive family for your child can be daunting, which is why we try our best to make the adoption process as easy as possible. You should not choose your child’s adoptive family based solely on race, culture, or ethnic background. Rather, you should be thinking about the kind of life you want your child to lead. Are the adoptive parents well off? Will your child have any siblings? Do the adoptive parents engage in friend groups that are culturally and racially diverse? Questions like these, and more, are what you should be thinking about when considering a transracial adoption. Ultimately, it does not matter what race your child’s adoptive parents are. What matters is that your child is loved unconditionally.
What are the Benefits of Transracial Adoption?
Transracial adoptions are beneficial to the adopted child and the adoptive parents. For example, your child will learn how to dismantle stereotypes early in life. People often assume that you have to be of the same race to be a family, but that is simply not true. Families come in all shapes and colors. Your child will learn not to judge other people and cultures while simultaneously embracing their own. The ability and opportunity to embrace diversity is another great benefit of transracial adoption. Your child will learn that diversity is something positive that should be celebrated. The world we live in is diverse, so raising a more accepting child can only serve to make the world a better place.
What are Some of the Challenges of Transracial Adoption?
Unfortunately, your child will face some challenges being in a transracial adoption. Racism is one of the chief challenges your child will encounter. People will assume their adoptive parents are not their parents or tease them for having parents who look differently from them. The best way to combat racism is to confront it directly. When you challenge something like racism, you challenge its validity and control over society. The one thing you cannot do when your child faces racism is to ignore it. Ignoring an issue does not make it go away.
There can also be a lack of diversity in a transracial adoption. Adoptive parents have to make a concerted effort to ensure that their adopted child is raised in a diverse environment. This can include raising your child in a diverse environment, attending diverse places of worship, and interacting with people who look like your child. Efforts such as these can help your child feel more accepted in society.
Adoption Choices of Missouri is Your #1 Source for All Things Adoption-Related
At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we specialize in all types of adoptions. When you choose to put a child up for adoption, know that we will always be there for you. Transracial adoptions are not vastly different from other adoptions, they just require a bit more consideration and thought. We ensure that you are comfortable with the adoptive family you choose, and if not, we will provide you with more prospective adoptive family profiles. With offices all over Missouri, Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to help you navigate every step of the adoption process from start to finish. We have adoption facilitators available 24/7 to assist you. Call or text us today!
Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll-free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 816-527-9800
Meet the Author: Rayna Batiste is an alumna of the University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. Having graduated with honors, she hopes to attend graduate school at New York University, majoring in Journalism. Rayna is also a United States Air Force veteran who enjoys watching documentaries about pretty much any subject, learning, and spending quality time with her family and friends. She is also a fitness enthusiast and an avid Peloton user.
Her hobbies include brunch (yes, brunch is a hobby), fashion, makeup, and of course, reading and writing. Rayna has a real passion for the written word and correct grammar and syntax. She enjoys manipulating sentence structure and experimenting with punctuation in her writing. She’s what you would call a “werd nerd.” She was also recently featured at the Pensacola Museum of Art for her work, entitled Triangular Geometry.
