Understanding Transracial Adoption

Transracial adoption is a family set up where adopters are of a different racial or ethnic background than the child they adopt. This difference often includes various ethnic, cultural and heritage including religious aspects. While this form of adoption offers opportunities to create loving and diverse families, it also presents unique challenges that require sensitivity, preparation, and ongoing support.

When adopting a child from a different racial or ethnic background, it’s crucial for adoptive parents and social workers to recognise that the child’s experiences, identity, and sense of belonging may differ from their own. These children frequently need additional support to stay connected to their racial, ethnic and cultural heritage and to develop a positive sense of self in a world where race plays a significant role. Without proper guidance and resources, adoptive parents may unintentionally overlook vital aspects of their child’s identity, potentially leading to feelings of isolation, confusion and race-based trauma.

Understanding the Child’s Identity

One of the key challenges in transracial adoption is understanding and supporting the child's ethnic, racial, and cultural identity development while ensuring they maintain meaningful connections to their heritage. Children with different ethnic and racial backgrounds from their adoptive parents often experience disconnection and displacement from ethnic and cultural practices associated with their birth-related identities. Transracially adopted children frequently encounter racism and racial discrimination that their adoptive parents may not recognise, understand, or have the lived experience to fully acknowledge. When adoptive parents lack the understanding, skills, or confidence to embrace, celebrate, and actively support their child's racial, ethnic, and cultural socialisation, transracially adopted children may experience:

• Racial microaggressions – subtle discriminatory comments or behaviours
• Challenges in developing a positive ethnic, racial, religious and cultural identity
• Difficulties in understanding and processing experiences of racism
• A compromised sense of belonging and self
• Struggles with navigating multiple cultural contexts also compounded by multiple placement moves

The Transracial Adoption Training Pack provides adoptive parents with the tools to understand the importance of racial identity. It explores the concept of the social identity wheel, a tool that helps parents examine how race intersects with other factors such as gender, religion, and class. This helps families build a framework for supporting a child’s sense of belonging within their own unique identity.

Addressing Racial Trauma and Racism

Adoptive children from minoritised racial or ethnic backgrounds may face systemic racism or race-based stress. Without actively, intentionally and purposefully preserving the child’s cultural identity, and preparing them for challenging prejudiced society, or providing the proper tools to cope with racism, cumulative experiences of identity-based discrimination can lead to what is termed racial trauma, which can have long-term emotional impacts on the child. 

By understanding the signs of racial trauma and how it manifests, adoptive parents can take steps to promote healing and help their children thrive in a society where race often plays a significant role in shaping experiences. This includes recognising microaggressions and addressing them in a way that protects the child’s well-being while fostering open, supportive conversations within the family.

Identity Development and Flexible Frameworks

Identity is a complex, multifaceted concept, especially for children in transracial adoptions. It is important to recognise that identity development does not follow a rigid path. The resources provided on our website introduce flexible frameworks for understanding how children’s identities are shaped by race, culture, and religion. These frameworks help adoptive parents recognise that each child’s journey is unique and that it is essential to provide support tailored to their specific experiences.

Amplifying Lived Experiences

Hearing directly from those impacted by transracial adoption is crucial in shaping and enhancing future adoption practices. It allows a better understanding of the real-world implications of transracial adoption and equips adoptive parents with the knowledge to create a supportive environment for their child. Adopted people’s personal stories highlight the importance of cultural practices and traditions, encouraging parents to actively preserve and celebrate their child’s heritage within the family. Click here to view a series of educational videos where adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents share their personal stories. These voices offer invaluable insights into navigating identity, preserving cultural heritage, and dealing with challenges such as racism and stereotypes.

AFDiT Framework

Earlier this year, we launched the Anti-racist Framework for Decision-making in Transitioning children from minoritised racial and ethnic groups into transracial adoptive families (AFDiT). This framework has been designed to support social workers and adoptive families as they navigate the complexities of transracial adoption. AFDiT provides a structured approach for understanding the unique needs and identities of children from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds who are transitioning into adoptive families with different heritages. The framework guides social workers in their assessments and decision-making when considering transracial adoption matches and support needs. It provides a structured approach to evaluating prospective adopters' readiness, competence, and commitment to parenting a child of a different racial, ethnic, or cultural background. The framework aims to ensure positive identity outcomes by encouraging a holistic consideration of the long-term implications of racial identity for Black, Asian, and other minoritised ethnic groups, ultimately helping children thrive in their adoptive homes.

Learn more about the AFDiT Framework here.

By embracing cultural differences, actively, consciously and intentionally supporting the child’s racial identity, adoptive parents can create a nurturing environment where the child feels proud of who they are. Our work aims to empower families to build strong, loving relationships while celebrating the diversity that makes their family unique.