What Can I Choose About the Adoptive Family?

Can I Choose the Adoptive Family’s Race?


When searching for an adoptive family for your baby, ethnicity may be important for you. There are potential cultural differences depending on your baby’s and the adoptive family’s ethnic backgrounds, or there may be certain cultural ties that you want for your child and their upbringing. Consider this:

  • Do you want your child to be with a family of the same race?
  • Do you prefer for your child to be with a family of a different race? If so, is there a specific racial background you prefer?
  • If you choose a family of another race, how would you like them to honor your child’s ethnicity and culture?

Whether it be African American, Hispanic, Multiracial, Asian, Indigenous, Caucasian or a mixed adoptive family, your adoption professional can help you find the right family for your adoption. If you are ready to start the process and find a family today, you can get in touch with an adoption professional here.

In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about finding a family by race or ethnicity:

FINDING BIRACIAL ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

When choosing an adoptive family, you may find that you want an interracial family to adopt your child. Whether your baby is biracial, you yourself grew up with biracial parents or you simply prefer your child grow up in an environment that offers multi-cultural advantages, your adoption specialist can help you identify the best possible biracial adoptive family ready to adopt. Some advantages to choosing a biracial family include the opportunity for your child to grow up in an environment of multiple cultural backgrounds, which can create a broader impression on the community as he or she grows up.

Working with a large, national adoption agency is almost always the best way to find a biracial couple looking to adopt. These agencies often work with a large number of interracial adoptive families, which means you will have more options to choose from and will be more likely to find the perfect adoptive family — not only based on their race or ethnicity, but also on their values, interests, lifestyle and more. These agencies also work with biracial couples looking to adopt from all over the country, so you can choose an adoptive family living in an area that will be inclusive and accepting of a mixed-race family.

If you are ready to begin searching for a family, you can start here with adoption profiles of biracial couples wanting to adopt, or complete our form to get in touch with an adoption professional who can help you find the exact type of family you’re looking for.

FINDING AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Many prospective birth mothers wonder, “I want to give my baby up for adoption, but to a Black family. Is this possible?”

The answer is yes. There are many Black couples who want to adopt, and it is always up to you to choose the racial and cultural background of your baby’s adoptive parents. If your baby has Black or African American heritage and you prefer that he or she be adopted by Black adoptive parents, there are numerous awaiting families. Some prospective birth parents may want their child to grow up with a Black family iso their parents can personally understand their experiences. There can also be African American cultural experiences you want for your child. Whatever you are looking for, there are Black families looking to adopt who may be the perfect fit for you and your baby.

Of course, race isn’t the only factor to consider when you are searching for adoptive parents. Whether you are meeting with a white, Hispanic, biracial or Black family ready to adopt, it’s important to ask questions about them, including:

  • Lifestyle – When getting a feel for the environment your child is going to live in, getting a better feel for the type of lifestyle the adoptive parents enjoy can be a good way to better understand the setting for your child. In what ways does the adoptive family incorporate their Black culture into their home?
  • Hobbies and interests – Finding out about a prospective adoptive family’s hobbies and interests can make you feel more comfortable with the environment for the child as well as potentially discover similar interests between you and the family, furthering your bond with them as well.
  • Cultural and religious beliefs – Does the family practice a certain religion or highlight a particular aspect of Black culture in their daily life? Knowing and understanding the teachings in life related to religious beliefs or specific cultural practices can give you a better feel for the adoptive family’s parenting style, as well as the interests and the importance of the Black community in their lives and the lives of their children.

If you’re ready to begin searching for available Black adoptive parents, you can start here.

FINDING HISPANIC ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Are you Hispanic or from a Hispanic community hoping to find a Hispanic adoptive family? Your adoption professional will sit down with you as you start your adoption process and determine specifically what type of adoptive family is right for you. Many prospective birth parents from a particular racial or cultural background prefer to find adoptive parents of the same ethnicity. It’s important to put together a set of questions to ask the adoptive parents about their Hispanic heritage, such as:

  • What does your Hispanic heritage mean to you?
  • Is it important for the child to be raised in a predominantly Hispanic environment?
  • What are some of the ways in which you plan to teach the child about their Hispanic culture?

Whatever you are looking for in adoptive parents for your baby, you can find it among the many Hispanic families looking to adopt. Reach out to an adoption agency today to get the services you need to find the perfect adoptive family, or start by browsing adoptive family profiles here.

FINDING NATIVE AMERICAN ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Your adoption agency can provide profiles and information on waiting Native American families ready to adopt should you decide you want your child to grow up in the same cultural environment as you. If it’s important to you for your baby to experience the same family setting that you did when growing up, a child adoption by Native Americans could be the perfect way to ensure that happens and to help preserve and honor your culture. ensure that happens and to help preserve and honor your culture.

When deciding on an Indigenous adoptive family, there are important requirements involved. Typically, most prospective birth parents prefer their child to remain among the same tribe, but you have the choice to choose any adoptive family you want for your child, whether they are members of your tribe, another tribe, or a non-Native family.

To learn more about placing a baby for adoption with Native American heritage, contact an adoption professional today. You can also begin searching for adoptive family profiles whenever you are ready.

FINDING ASIAN ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

If you are an Asian prospective birth parent and would feel more comfortable having your child adopted by an Asian family, your adoption specialist can help you find the perfect family that can provide the same cultural surroundings and carry on the similar experiences you may have had as a child. Using the adoptive family search function on this page, you can find available families from various different Asian backgrounds, such as:

  • Indian
  • Southeast Asian
  • Korean
  • Chinese
  • Japanese
  • South Pacific Asian

If you are struggling to find a family from the specific racial or cultural background you want for your baby, don’t worry. An adoption professional can help you find exactly the type of adoptive parents you want for your child — not only based on their race or ethnicity, but also based on factors like their values, interests, lifestyle, religion and more. To get started, contact an adoption agency today to get free information.

FINDING CAUCASIAN ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

There are many white parents hoping to adopt children of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. If you or your baby are white, or if you simply want your child to grow up with white adoptive parents, this is always an option for you.

Your adoption specialist can help you search for the right white adoptive family using an extensive database of available waiting families.

RACE MATTERS, BUT TRUSTING YOUR INSTINCTS DOES TOO

Race is an important factor when searching for an adoptive family, but it’s important to feel comfortable with the people themselves. You want the right family with the right values and environment for the growth and development of your child.

Transracial adoptions are becoming more common, and choosing adoptive parents from ethnic backgrounds that may differ from your own can offer a unique ability to grow culturally. Ultimately when choosing an adoptive family, getting to know them as people, trusting your gut and feeling like they are the perfect family to raise your child are incredibly important.

Your adoption professional will go over the exact wishes for the type of adoptive family you prefer, including race. Many profile listing sites also include an online search function that can get you started. Should you not find the right family initially, no need to worry — you can reach out to an adoption professional to help guide you through the search process and locate the right family for your adoption.


Ready to get started? Contact an adoption agency now to get free information.

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