Biracial Adoption

A biracial child is one whose biological parents are of two different racial backgrounds. While race may seem like something a little archaic for a post-racial society, it's still plays a role in everyone's identity.

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Race is an important consideration for case workers placing children, and many birth mothers are known for requesting a biracial adoptive couple for placement. This, in a way, makes being biracial as important for adoptive parents as being of a particular faith. Growing up in a biracial family can bring unique situations to a family dynamic, which may be a lot for a child to take in as he or she may feel different many times in his or her life as an adoptee without his or her differences to be conspicuous. One's biological identity is more easily hidden when one looks "enough" like his or her adoptive parents. However, throwing starkly different looks into the adoptive dynamic may give an adoptee's peers or complete strangers the license to question or create rumors about the child's home life and personality. Even in a secure household, there will be times when racial identity presents a life obstacle.

Sometimes, biracial adoption is referred to as a special needs adoption. Case workers may find it difficult to place a child who is neither one race or another. Some case workers feel it's easier to place a biracial child with a biracial or black couple than a Caucasian one due to the dated and belief that it would be easier for a biracial child to identify with a black household. While this kind of discrimination is unlawful, many biases manage to interfere with placements. However, there are many biracial or transracial families formed through international adoption and many of those are successful.

The fear of racial identity issues is the first thing adoptive parents should be aware of when considering biracial adoption. Identity issues are more common in transracial and biracial adoptees. If adoptive parents indulge in the child's curiosities or conflicts, then he or she can explore what it is that feels most comfortable and fill in the blanks for him or herself. Experts suggest finding mentors and a community that will lend itself to being supportive of a child's racial differences outside of the family's traditions and practices.