A major new report on U.S. adoption systems and laws says that the system is failing children from minority ethnicities. According to the report, black children in foster care are less likely to be adopted than are children from other races.

"The laws require training for parents adopting from another country but offer no similar help for parents adopting an American child transracially on the grounds it would conflict with the ideal of a 'colorblind' society that does not take race into account. But the debate over how to make transracial adoption serve a colorblind idea, while reasonable, should be framed around the best interests of the child..."

While current law doesn't prevent a child from being placed with parents of a different race, it does require that state agencies first try to place children with people of the same ethnic background. If families who fit that profile aren't available this policy can cause significant delays in the child's adoption process. Source: Reuters

Labels: adoption_system, minorities, US

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Arkansas recently received $1.3 million from the Federal government as incentive to continue improving the state’s adoption rates. The number of kids adopted into forever families has increased by 33 percent.

“’Over the last few years, we’ve really seen an increase, which is really great news for children who are in the foster care system,’ Julie Munsell said. Munsell, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, says adoptions jumped from 466 in 2008 to 622 in 2009.” - Source: KTHV-TV (Little Rock)

She attributes the sharp rise in completed adoptions to improved collaboration between the church and community-based organizations. DHS has also begun holding “outreach” meetings, where people interested in adoption can get more information. Because there are still between 500 and 1,000 Arkansas kids available for adoption every year, Munsell hopes DHS can continue its upward trend.

 

Labels: US

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment