Adoption Choices of Missouri’s Guide to a Transracial Adoption

There are many different types of adoption: open, closed, or transracial. Transracial adoption is the adoption of a child of a different race, ethnicity, or culture from their adoptive parent. For example, some transracial adoptive families have a Caucasian child with African American adoptive parents, and in others, there is an Asian couple with a Hispanic or Latinx child. Adoption comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, our local adoption agencies in Missouri are here to help you navigate is a guide to a transracial adoption journey. 

What Are the Pros of Transracial Adoption?

Transracial adoption can be a very positive experience for everyone involved. There are pros and cons to everything, and transracial adoptions are no different. Transracial adoption encourages diversity. The adoptive parents have to make an effort to ensure that their child is surrounded by people who look like them. They can do this by enrolling the child in a diverse school, attending a diverse church, and making an effort to live in a diverse neighborhood. Diversity makes one more open-minded. 

Transracial adoption promotes open-mindedness in the child and their adoptive family. Everyone has the opportunity to be exposed to a culture that is different from their own. As a result, your child will learn to embrace people’s differences and be more empathetic and understanding. 

The biggest pro of transracial adoption is that your child will be loved unconditionally. You are choosing adoption for your child because you love them; an adoption is an act of love. You are also allowing your child’s adoptive family to start or expand their own family. 

What Are the Cons of Transracial Adoption?

Unfortunately, there are some negatives to transracial adoption. One of the cons of transracial adoption is racism. The best way to combat racism is to admit it exists and confront it when you see it. Ignoring the issue is not the answer; racism will not disappear if you ignore it. Racism can be overt or covert, so it is important that the adoptive parents are aware of the issue. 

A lack of diversity is another negative aspect of transracial adoption. It can be difficult for your adopted child to identify with their adopted family. It is important to surround the adopted child with people who look like them. The adoptive parents can do this by enrolling the child in a diverse school, living in a diverse neighborhood, and interacting with people who share your child’s race. 

Your child may struggle with their cultural identity, which is why the adoptive parents have to make a concerted effort to surround themselves and the adoptee with people who look like them. Race is an important part of our identities as human beings, which is why it is imperative that the adoptive parents encourage diversity and make every effort to make the adoptee as comfortable as possible. 

Though there can be some negatives to transracial adoption, the experience is positive overall. You are giving your child the opportunity to grow up in a loving home, and you are allowing the adoptive parents to start or expand their own family. You can be assured that your child will only benefit from transracial adoption. 

Transracial adoptions are becoming more prevalent. It used to be common only to adopt children who share the same race as the adoptive parents, but times are changing. Transracial adoption is an overwhelmingly positive experience for everyone involved. 

Contact Adoption Choices of Missouri Today!

Adoption Choices of Missouri has offices all over Missouri with staff ready and waiting to assist you. An adoption is always a great option, and we would love to help you navigate this journey. Contact Adoption Choices of Missouri today to begin your adoption journey. You will be glad you did!

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.