Transracial Adoption and Foster Care: Practice Issues for Professionals

By Joseph Crumbley

Transracial Adoption and foster care has been a controversial topic throughout this decade-a topic that has led to arguments and divisions between families, neighborhoods, professionals, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878687173
• ISBN13: 9780878687176
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Child Welfare League of Amer
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A helpful book in overcoming racial discrimination

I welcome any book that is supportive of transracial adoptions and helps all members of the families involved to live in harmony. I agree with the author that love is not enough. Unlike in my family's same-race adoption, in a transracial adoption the parents need to acknowledge the existence of prejudice, explain to the child why his/her racial or cultural group is mistreated, provide the child with a repertoire of responses to racial discrimination and provide the child with role models and positive contact within the community. We have transracial adoptions in our neighborhood and I hope that the adoptive parents (all Caucasians) receive plenty of help from their agencies with those issues. They would be well advised to read this book.Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?

Succinct and Empowering

This book goes beyond the discussion of "should we or shouldn'twe have transracial adoptions". Although it is directed towardprofessionals it is also very useful for adoptive parents aswell. The book avoids the emotional turmoil and discussion of"what's right or wrong about transracial adoptions". Nor doesthe book attempt to make parents feel guilty or inadequate toadopt transracially. The reader is given information that compelsthem to:1) appreciate the challenges of transracial adoptions,2) appreciate the needs of children adopted transracially, and;3) gives them the skills and resources an adoptive or foster parent needs to acquire.The book does an excellent job of assisting adoptive parents tojudge their own skills and ability to adopt a child of a diffe-rent race, rather than being judged by a professional or someoneelse. Self assessment guides are even provided to adoptive pa-rents for this purpose.The case studies in the book provide examples to professionalsand parents that are clear and practical in highlighting theissues and skills in preparing for and parenting children intransracial adoptions. It is a practical "how to" book, withoutthe emotional turmoil and rhetoric that surrounds the topic oftransracial adoptions. I would recommend it to both professionalsand adoptive parents, as well as parents considering transracialadoption or foster care.