“Are you currently working with an African-American family?” Is a question I am asked once or twice a month. The answer to that question is always, “Sorry, we do not have an African-American family on our waiting list. I wish I could help you.”
The growing assumption is that African Americans don’t adopt, which is not an accurate statement. The truth is most African Americans adopt within their families, or through a state subsidized program. As an African American, I applaud my community for the continuous efforts of family preservation through kinship and state adoptions. However, African Americans are underrepresented in the private adoption community.
On a daily basis, I ask myself what we can do to reach the African-American community to encourage private adoptions. This is a growing issue, because there are an increasing number of African-American and bi- racial women that choose adoption, as opposed to other options. In most cases, African-American women would like for their baby to belong to an African-American family. We want to support our birth mothers wishes; however it can become discouraging for birth mothers and the adoption staff to hear the same response from other adoption agencies, “Sorry, we do not have an African-American family on our waiting list. I wish I could help you.”
I want to help make a change. It is my desire to help African-Americans to become equally represented in the private adoption community. If you are a married African American couple looking to grow your family through adoption, or if you have questions about adoption, please call Charvette Simmons @ 972-960-9981 or 214-952-7421.
Ephesians 1:5 “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
