Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2006 > July > 08
Saturday, July 8, 2006
Race shouldn’t stop adoption
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We brought her home when she was 5 days old.
The birth mom delivered her on a Monday and asked to meet us the next day. We each got to hold her, swaddled and warm, in the hospital room. Miles grinned like a Cheshire cat.
On Day Three of the infant’s life, the birth mom relinquished her rights. The birth dad followed suit a few days later. We brought the little girl home. Olivia Melodie Badie. She’s ours.
Our private agency adoption went as smooth as butter. Practically flawless. There is no lack of biracial babies for willing adoptive parents. In fact, we had to turn down another biracial child before Livvy’s birth because Joann was recovering from surgery. Our experience was proof positive that there’s a big demand for adoptive parents to care for black and biracial children.
Oddly enough, though, I heard a story this week that got me steamed. It’s about a hard-working couple who likes pets and values education and family. They want to adopt a baby. They’re white, but color doesn’t matter. And they’d welcome a minority child into their home and give it as much love as they would a Caucasian one.
They aren’t paranoid, but they’ve felt a definite racial vibe while trying to work through the state adoption services. They suspect it’s because they’re white.
In a perfect world, there’d be enough black adoptive parents for black babies and white adoptive parents for white infants. Culture would be a nonissue.
But reality shows us that more black babies need homes, and from the online articles and stories I read, there’s not enough adoptive black couples to fill the need. White couples have to wait some time for a white child to become available. So some stand ready and willing to take a black infant in.
Of course race matters. A white couple would have to work harder to provide authentic cultural exposure. It’s not impossible. Especially in metro Atlanta.
The National Association of Black Social Workers has said that every effort should be made to place children with families of the same race and culture. Very noble. What’s more important, though?
Should a boy or a girl be denied a happy, stable home because of a concern for race and identity matters?
No, says Ari Young, a spokesman for the state Department of Family and Children Services.
“We don’t have a racial litmus test,” he told me. “Our goal is to try to find loving permanent homes for the children who are slated for adoption.”
I want to believe him.
Fortunately, private adoption agencies usually encourage cross-racial adoption. Private agencies suggest that couples be open to kids of other races.
There’s hope for all potential adoptive parents. We know. We got Livvy.
She turns four in a few days. On Saturday, we celebrated her birthday.
