[wenrl]

The other day someone told us that Massachusetts has a law that white parents cannot adopt AA children. This person said that he had tried to do so several years ago and was told that it is impossible.

Is this true? Or was it true several years ago? I tried to look it up, but didn't find anything and would be surprised if this were the case and nobody ever told us in the two years we were searching. Although we were not matched with an AA child, we were open to all races and nobody ever told us that would be a problem until this friend of ours.

Does anybody know if there is any truth in this?

[Ktates]

I have never heard of such a thing. In fact two of the agencies we met with told us (we are Caucasian) that the more open we were to race of a baby, the shorter our wait would be.

[DianeS]

Depending on the definition of "several years", yes, this could be true. Years ago most states had laws like that, and even the states without active laws would not make an interracial match.

However, there is now a federal law that should trump the state ones, and it says (roughly) that a child should not be kept from matching with a family of a different race if that family is the best one for him.

That can be interpreted different ways, however. Just because any particular white family you could name could technically adopt a black child, it is possible that all the black children being placed have "must be with a black family" as part of their profile as to what is that child's best interest.

So, I do not believe there can *currently* be any sort of state law like what your friend described.
However, it is entirely possible she was told there was such a law, either by a worker who personally does not believe in such matches, or by a worker who knew that all black children currently available were waiting for black families, or that she inquired so many years ago that the old laws were still in existance or thought to be still in existance by whomever talked to her.

[Kafwaf]

I'm not sure of the truthfulness but it sounds like something that might have been legal a few years ago.

Kids need families, regardless of race.

[LisaCA]

it was possible for states to have that type of law several years ago, but Pres. Clinton signed a law changing that.

Kids do need parents, but race does matter in this society and the best thing for the child is to have parents that are educated in what i means to be of a different race/culture, and the role parents have in developing good self esteem (such as selecting a mixed race neighborhood so the child sees him/herself reflected in others, the parents asking themselves whether they have friends of diff. races and why/why not, etc). A good agency will have special classes for those adopting across racial/ethnic lines and will have time for parents to network and educate themselves. You'd be surprised just how people don't think about what it would be like to grow up in their household and be different. btw, a great place for information about "transracial" adoption is

[Edited To Remove the URL to an agency website.]

LisaCA (born in RI and lived in Massachusetts for many years)

[riley6]

http://www.multiracial.com/governmen...illstatus.html

[Opus]

Perhaps in the 70's and early 80's, the adoption of AA kids by CC parents in Mass was discouraged but I doubt it was legally defined. That is definately not the case currently. Our daughter is biracial (AA/CC) and we are CC. Race has never been a barrier regarding her adoption.

[dadfor2]

yes, whites can adopt AA in mass. not sure how it was years ago, but today......yes.

if not, im not sure how my friends got their kids..hmmmm....is there something about them i dont know?....lol

all kidding aside, yes, in mass you can adopt AA.

dadfor2