Each year in the United States, thousands of children become members of new families through adoption. Caring for needy children has been a tradition since ancient times. Through the years, African-American children whose birth parents were unable to raise them have been raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, other relatives or friends of the family. Although this tradition continues, changes in the family structure and complexities of our society have made formal, legalized adoption an increasingly important choice.

Questions asked by families who are considering becoming adoptive parents of an African-American child include:

How does it work?
How long does it take?
What is open adoption?
What about transracial adoption?
Why does an expectant parent choose adoption?

© 2003