What is Transracial Adoption?
When you are considering going with the adoption in Colorado, during your research, you will most likely come across transracial adoption. Transracial adoption is when a baby is placed for adoption with an adoptive family of different racial ethnicity. Here at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we are a premier adoption agency in Colorado, and we can help and support you as you create your adoption plan. While creating your adoption plan, you will get to the stage where you get to pick the adoptive family. You will be able to look at our families’ profiles on our waiting list and decide which Family is the best fit for your child. You can ultimately decide that the Family that is the best fit for your child is a family of different racial ethnicities. Transracial adoption can be very beneficial for your child. However, before you begin your adoption journey, it is important for you to know that some issues can arise with transracial adoption and there are ways to overcome them.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
Your Child Might Feel Like an Outcast in the Family
At first, the adoptee can feel like they are the outcast in the family because they are of different racial ethnicity. This is a common thing to happen in transracial adoptions, but it is possible to overcome. The adoptive Family can incorporate the culture of the adoptee into their home life. That way, they can feel more comfortable and less of an outcast. With the adoptive Family doing this, it will let the adoptee know that they are not an outcast and they are a member of the Family.
Another factor that can help the adoptee overcome this feeling is the connections they make in the community. As they grow up and explore the community, they will make relationships with others that live near them. These community relationships will help the adoptee feel a part of the community as a whole and not like an outcast.
What Your Child Might Experience During a Transracial Adoption
Throughout the adoptee’s life, they will have to deal with stigmas that surround transracial adoption. When they are with their Family in public, they might see that some people will stare at them. This is because of how they look different from their family members even though they are just as much a part of the Family as their other family members. This can upset the adoptee when they see people doing this, but the adoptive parents just have to explain to them why people will stare and reassure them that they are not different and are a member of the Family and one of them.
Now when it comes to discouraging comments, the parents will just have to reassure the adoptee like they would with people staring in public. These comments can come from anyone. It can be someone they overhear in public, one of their relatives, or one of their friends. These comments can have the same effect that someone staring has. Also, as long as the adoptive parents reassure the adoptee, they will be able to ignore these comments and people starting over time.
Transracial Adoption in Colorado is Growing
Now, these issues are not completely avoidable, but they are starting to not become a problem as much as they have been in the past. Transracial adoption in Colorado and around the world is growing and becoming a more common thing to see. There are more transracial families, and because of this, it has become more acceptable.
Adoption Choices of Colorado is Here for You
Adoption in Colorado is nothing to fear. When you work with us here at Adoption Choices of Colorado, we will do our best to make sure you have a wonderful adoption experience. We will aid you and guide you as you create your adoption plan, and we will answer any questions that you may have. Now, if it turns out that an adoptive family of a different racial ethnicity is the best fit for your child, then a transracial adoption can be your best option. If you are hesitant to proceed forward because you want to know what transracial adoption’s pros and cons are, we will be happy to provide you with the information you need to come to your decision. Contact us today if you are ready to begin your adoption journey.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Nickolas Cooney is a senior at Arizona State University working through his final semester to get his bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. Nick also attended the University of Alabama for his first year and a half of college when he was a biology major. He decided to move back to Arizona and transfer to ASU when he changed his major because he saw more opportunities at the Walter Cronkite School of Mass Communication and Journalism. Since transferring to ASU, Nick has been a reporter for the AIA in Arizona for a semester and worked with the Phoenix Suns and Rising for stories. While writing about sports and creating content about sports is Nick’s passion. He also is very passionate about playing sports as well. He grew up playing baseball, basketball, and racing motocross. Nick still does his best to ride and race motocross when he has time, but he has been focusing on his schooling and another one of his passions, gaming. Nick is an avid gamer, and he is even a streamer on Twitch. He has built up a fan base to be a part of the Twitch Affiliate program.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!