Why We Need More Black Adopters
Looking into the overrepresentation of Black children in the care system and hesitations surrounding adoption in the Black community.
Names have been changed to protect the identity of interviewees
Family is a priority for the Black diaspora, whether they are blood relatives or the aunties who have known you “since you were this high”. We look after our ageing grandparents, call our uncle’s houses our "second home" and when cousins from abroad turn up with a suitcase, unannounced, we take them in - yes for the whole month. Caring for one another, whether we are related by blood or not, is ingrained in our culture. We are often raised alongside our extended families and, culturally, Black people have often supported one another in raising children, emotionally, practically, spiritually and financially. This tradition needs to be extended to Black children in the care system.
Black children are over-represented in our care system, with national statistics also reporting that Black children wait longer to find their adoptive families. According to UK government statistics, 46% of all children wait 18+ months but 69% of Black Caribbean children have a 28-months wait on average, 61% of Black African children have a 24-month average wait and 60% of mixed heritage white and Black African have 21-month average wait. Out of this group, boys of Black African descent face the longest wait of 1,302 days, compared to the average white British child who waits 919 days.
There is a shortage of adopters from Black and minority ethnic groups, with the latest data showing that 180 adopters referred were Black compared to 6,500 white adopters. The issue is not that Black people do not want to adopt. Research conducted by the National Adoption Recruitment Steering Group shows that the Black communities have ‘positive and altruistic views around adoption’. So although motivations are overwhelmingly positive, there are a number of barriers and misconceptions that deter people from taking the next step, such as housing, finances and concerns surrounding their age.
“As a child’s racial identity develops, it’s important to establish cultural and ethnic pride in a world that otherwise devalues and discriminates against those parts of their identity. ”
Hesitations to adopt are also affected by a fear of authority and wariness towards the government, particularly concerning access to personal files. Anxieties have escalated as a result of scandals such as Windrush, alongside an increased distrust of the government heightened by events such as Grenfell and the global outcry for racial equality in 2020. Research by Home For Good reported that ‘BAME adults are twice as likely as white adults to report concerns about government and authorities looking into their history in the process of adopting a child.’
While not all causes of anxiety among Black adopters can be solved, there are some myths that can be busted to encourage them to step forward. Adoption Social Worker Bernadette said that some of the top misconceptions surrounding adoption include marital status. “People feel that they need to have their own home or that they need to be married. A lot of single people didn’t realise that they could adopt.” As far as anxieties around authorities investigating their background, Bernadette notes, “we’re looking for people that have resilience, that have had real-life experiences. We want them to relate to the needs of the children that they’ll be looking after. I think that sometimes, people feel that they shouldn’t have had any kind of challenge in their background, but actually, it’s about how you’ve overcome those challenges. What you’ve learnt from them and in the long term how it can help you to support children who have faced similar challenges.’
Another concern widely expressed by adopters is age. An adopter called Lynn shared that she thought that having been divorced, alongside general life challenges, would interrupt her chances. However, Lynn who has two 20-30 year old biological children, recently adopted a 2-year-old child and shared the joys of her experience, ‘the adoption team at Slough were fantastic, they were so helpful and supportive and informative. There wasn’t any time where there wasn’t someone I could talk to when I had a query and that makes all the difference.’
An adoption event held by Slough’s The Curve in collaboration with Buckinghamshire Council adoption services in 2020 provided several Black adopters and adoptees with the platform to speak openly about the adoption process. One of the women who shared her experiences was Chloe, a Black woman who was adopted by a white family as a baby. Bernadette shared that a portion of society believes that children adopted by parents who are not the same race are racially and culturally deprived. In response, Chloe said “being raised as a child without connection to ethnic culture or part of the Black community is an isolating experience.” She added that it was difficult to integrate fully into Black communities in her formative years, “it took a while to feel confident.”
Gina Knight shared the sentiment. Raised by a white family in South East London she said, “when I would go outside of my house there were Black people everywhere. I saw myself when I left my home, it’s just within my home where I didn’t see myself and that’s where it begins to lack.” Gina explained that as she got older she began to notice that her ability to form long-standing relationships with other Black people, particularly her Nigerian peers, was hindered by the things she missed out on. “I am very uncomfortable around other Nigerians because I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. We're proud people, so when I used to go and speak to my [birth] mum’s friends, I used to feel like they would think I’m some sort of oyinbo. They know I don’t understand what they’re saying. I felt out of place in the Nigerian community especially. Within a British Black identity, I didn’t feel completely isolated, but I can understand where Chloe’s coming from.’
“ So when we participate in conversations about our future children, consider adoption as a means of growing your family, providing them with the cultural and emotional support they desperately need. ”
Bernadette had explained that meeting the identity needs of a child develops their self-esteem and promotes a healthy mental wellbeing. As a child’s racial identity develops, it’s important to establish cultural and ethnic pride in a world that otherwise devalues and discriminates against those parts of their identity. Adopters need to be committed to anti-racism, and make an effort to understand what their children are going through. If they cannot personally relate, then they must learn the history of, and means to dismantle racism.
When adopters Lynn and Grace were asked what they would say to those interested in adoption, both suggested talking to someone, reaching out to a local agency and beginning the conversation. There is no model adopter, each case is individual, and so is each child. Grace even mentioned that she believes adopters are more prepared for parenthood than parents of biological children due to the conversations, training and support given. There are people putting in the work to advocate for and support Black adopters and there is an overwhelming amount of Black children waiting on permanent homes. So when we participate in conversations about our future children, consider adoption as a means of growing your family, providing them with the cultural and emotional support they desperately need.
References
Adoption Matters. 2020. Adoption Matters | Children's Charity And Voluntary Adoption Agency. [online] Available at: <https://www.adoptionmatters.org> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
2020. It Takes A Village.
Times, L., 2020. National Adoption Week 2020 Highlights The Urgent Need For More Black Adopters For Children Waiting. [online] Lancashire Times. Available at: <https://lancashiretimes.co.uk/article/National-Adoption-Week-2020-Highlights-The-Urgent-Need-For-More-Black-Adopters-F-> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
BBC News. 2020. BAME Foster Care Shortage In Two-Thirds Of English Councils. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-51136569> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
Adoption.buckscc.gov.uk. 2020. Get Ready For Adoption | Buckinghamshire Adoption Service. [online] Available at: <https://adoption.buckscc.gov.uk/> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
Banks, N. (2020), "Transracial Adoption and Mental Health", Majors, R., Carberry, K. and Ransaw, T.S. (Ed.) The International Handbook of Black Community Mental Health, Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 405-422