Interracial Adoption

[gytalf2000]

I was just glancing over a thread on interracial adoption on www.msn.com. Most of the time, it is White families adopting babies of other races. Does it ever happen the other way around – Black families adopting White or Asian babies? I realize the first thing to come to mind is probably Steve Martin in “The Jerk”, but this is actually a serious question. Does this happen very often – Black parents adopting non-Black babies?

[Wendell_Wagner]

This isn’t a perfect example, but Nicole Richie, who is half non-Hispanic white, a quarter Hispanic white, and a quarter black was adopted by Lionel Richie and his first wife, both of whom are black. She was something like the daughter of a roadie and a back-up singer in his band who spent a lot of her time at the rehearsals and concerts for Lionel Richie when she was just a baby. The Richies, who didn’t have any children of their own, ended up as Nicole’s foster parents when she was about three and then formally adopted her when she was about nine.

[raindog]

I don’t know the answer to this, but I’ve looked into adoption some time ago.

My [anecdotal] impressions are:

It’s certainly possible, and highly likely, that somewhere, sometime a black couple has adopted a white baby.

But I think a couple things are in play…

The laws of supply and demand are at work. Historically, the rates of illegitimate births have been much higher among black women, particularly young black women, than white women. (although I believe it has narrowed somewhat over the last 25 years) Still illegitimate births are higher among blacks than whites. And I would surmise that statistically an illegitimate birth is more likely to be put up for adoption. When I looked at the ‘catalogue’ of available babies in the state where I lived, the amount of available black babies was much more than white babies. I’m guessing the ratio was 5 to 1 or more.

So…there is simply a greater supply of black babies for a black couple to choose from. (Which goes for white adoptive couples as well…)

As to the demand side of the equation… I think that white babies are more popular. I hate even typing that, but once again there is a greater supply of white adoptive parents, if for no other reason that they are a larger part of the population. And I think the average (read it again:average) white couple prefers a white baby. (which shouldn’t mean racism is at play) Similiarly, I think a black couple (I’m aware that singles adopt also) on average prefers a black baby.

For my part, I would have adopted a baby of any ethnic origin. But I have never seen a black couple with a white adopted child, and I have seen several white couples with babies of sundry ethnicities.

I really don’t know the answer, other than my [anecdotal] impressions.

[Chronos]

There might be a bias towards white adoptive parents for economic reasons. A couple planning to adopt is usually fairly well-off, certainly making ends meet, at least. Given the correlation between race and economic status in this country, then, one would expect disproportionately fewer black couples to be adopting than whites. Likewise, children born into economic hardship are perhaps more likely to be put up for adoption than those born to wealthier parents, so one might expect a disproportionate number of adopted children to be black. What might be interesting to see is whether, of those black couples who do adopt, there is the same proportion of babies of various races as among the population of adoptive parents as a whole.

[Mississippienne]

I saw an article featuring a mixed race couple (black woman/white man) who adopted a caucasian Russian girl. So you might very well find examples among black families who choose to adopt abroad.

[Waenara]

From this article (all bolding added by me):

Over the past 25 years there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of children born out of wedlock, children being raised by single parents, families on welfare, and children entering the foster care system because of abuse and neglect. Family disintegration is widespread. There also has been a sharp decrease in the number of children being adopted, with formal adoptions dropping by almost 50 percent: from 89,000 in 1970 to a fairly constant 50,000 annually throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.

<snip>

Adoption fell out of favor among social workers during the 1970s, even as single parenthood and abortion became more widespread.

<snip>

Interracial adoptions account for about 8 percent of adoptions and consist primarily of adoptions of black children by white parents. There are more black children waiting in foster care than there are prescreened black families ready to adopt them.

And Chronos, you said that “Given the correlation between race and economic status in this country, then, one would expect disproportionately fewer black couples to be adopting than whites.” According to this cite:

There is some evidence that blacks adopt at a much higher rate than whites if one controls for family structure, income, and age of parents. A 1983 Department of Health and Human Services study put these comparable rates at:

* 7 adoptions per 10,000 black families for all black families;
* 2 adoptions per 10,000 white families for all white families; and
* 2 adoptions per 10,000 Hispanic families for all Hispanic families.

Controlling for age of parents (below 55), family income (above poverty level), and family structure (intact families), the rates change to:

* 18 adoptions per 10,000 black families within the range;
* 4 adoptions per 10,000 white families within the range; and
* 3 adoptions per 10,000 Hispanic families within the range.

<snip>

To meet the needs of all children within their own racial communities by placing them in couple-headed families above poverty, the same study suggests that the response rate among black families would have to be far higher than it is. It would need to approach 44 per 10,000 families for blacks, compared with 6 per 10,000 families for whites and 6 per 10,000 families for Hispanics. This would require an enormous increase in the rates of adoption by blacks and Hispanics.

[gytalf2000]

Thanks for the replies! You know, I cannot believe I forgot about the “Nicole Ritchie” situation!