Original Thesis: Adoption policies should be color-blind because transracial adoption poses no problems for the functioning of families.

1
Original Thesis Adoption policies should be
color-blind because transracial adoption poses no
problems for the functioning of families.
Claims
Claim 5 TRA does not cause problems for other
interested parties
Claim 2 Black families do not adopt nearly as
often as white families
Claim 1 Black children are disproportionately
represented in foster care
Claim 3 Currently structural obstacles exist for
TRA
Claim 4 TRA does not harm children
Authority
Evidence more mixed JBP commentaries make strong
arguments for fear 2-3 popular articles suggest
no reason for this fear no scholarly piece that
strongly rejects possibility of harm 1 New
Republic article (Colin Powell) supports TRA as
good solution for too many black kids in foster
care suggests that black advocacy orgs should
encourage black families to adopt 1 add'l pop
sources makes similar argument
S A's book ? no evidence for harm from
longitudinal study special issue in JBP (more
recent than SA) ? no evidence that TRA problem
for children, but some method. criticism and need
for more data no research compares TRA kids with
foster care kids, but 2 scholarly articles review
research on long-term negative effects of growing
up in foster care
2-3 current websites of orgs interested in TRA
that discuss the current policies (e.g.,MEPA)1
law review that discusses MEPA in depth, but
takes not position (note MEPA - not purely
color-blind and applies to all agencies receiving
federal funds) 1 article critical, 1 supportive
of MEPA. Several sources critical of past
practices that considered race, some scholarly,
some popular
4-5 articles that cite stats in support of this
claim 2 are scholarly sources, others more
popular but give the source for their stats
2 sources, from scholarly journals, that give
stats in support of this disparity 1 doesn't
give authority for statement
2
Revised Claims
Claim 5 Acknowledge that cultural concerns are
valid and important, but immediate needs of
children should be paramount Also, these can be
handled through different organizations that can
encourage/provide incentives for more black
families to adopt
Claim 4 Currently no evidence to support harm
acknowledge that research is not definitive,
however, because some studies weak
Claim 3 Current law is not color-blind, but
structural barriers are not as serious as they
used to be
Claim 2 O.K. but don't overstate
Claim 1 O.K.
Revised Thesis Adoption policies should be
completely color-blind because TRA creates a more
functional family environment for children than
long-term foster care. Although cultural
concerns have legitimacy, the immediate needs of
children who remain trapped in foster care should
be paramount.