ICA seems more favorable than TRA of American children is based on issues of race, class, and gender

Inter-Country Adoption and Adoptive Parent Motives & Preferences

This was the study I had posted about before for those that are interested, I've blogged a little article summary/analysis (more summary than analysis, I am tired today).

The study sought to determine why adopting parents pursuing Transracial Adoption (TRA) might prefer Inter-Country Adoption (ICA) rather than domestic adoption. While ICA rates have increased in the past 20 years, so have the amount of children in the U.S. foster care system. The Authors noted that, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (2007), less than 10% of White women "adopt across racial lines" (Zhang and Lee, 2010, p 2.). When they do adopt across racial lines, they are "five times more likely to adopt children of other [than African American] races" (p. 2). The authors propose that adopting parents preferences are "embedded in an intersection of larger discourses of race, class and gender (referencing Dorow, 2006)" (Zhang & Lee, 2010, p.2).

The literature review of the study I found intriguing. Going over previous literature and studies, the authors of this study hypothesized that the reasons that ICA seems more favorable than TRA of American children is based on issues of race, class, and gender. The reviewed literature covered topics such as the "enduring boundaries (p. 4) between the Black and White communities in the U.S. and the disapproval in the Black community of White individuals adopting Black children as possible contributing factors as to why ICA seems to be more favored among Adoptive Parents. Mentioning that fewer newborn babies are available for adoption in the U.S. the authors referenced other literature and research that addressed Adoptive Parent preferences for age and gender as possible contributing factors as well. Referencing the Census Bureau (2003), the authors stated that adopting women tend to prefer girls and "[m]any babies waiting to be adopted internationally are girls. For example, girls account for 95% of children waiting for adoption in china" (Zhang & Lee, 2010, p. 5). As for adopting parent preferences for children of younger ages:

"Half of all ICAs involve infants less than 1 year old, and 90% of children adopted aged less than 5 years (Fisher, 2003). In contrast, only 6% of children adopted in 2005 in the foster system were less than 1 year old, and less than 30% were younger the age of 5 years (Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, 2007)"
(Zhang and Lee, 2010, p.5, their citations included in the quote).

The authors also noted literature that discussed that ICA may be an easier process, the closed-nature of ICA vs. the increasing trend toward openness in adoption in the U.S., and the fear that the original parents of an adopted child born in the U.S. would change their minds, may contribute to the why adopting parents would choose ICA vs. TRA of a child born in the U.S.

The study consisted of asking in-depth, open-ended questions to 10 families in Ohio over the course of 3 years. 6 families adopted through ICA and four were of TRA through domestic adoption.

The study found some major themes in motivations to adopt were consistent with many of the variables noted in the literature review. Variables such as infertility, wait time, age preference for child, etc.

The authors concluded that TRA domestic adoption was perceived by many who pursued ICA to have more disadvantages. They noted that it seemed as though ICA was viewed in terms of cultural differences that might be fun to learn and incorporate in the family, whereas, TRA domestic adoption was "phrased in terms of social problems such as possible parental drug addiction and adverse neighborhood influences on child development" (Zhang & Lee, 2010, p. 20).

The authors indicated that more research was needing involving a broader, more representative, and more diverse sample of Adoptive Parents.

Reference:

Yuanting, Z., & Lee, G. R. (2011). Intercountry Versus Transracial Adoption: Analysis of Adoptive Parents’ Motivations and Preferences in Adoption. Journal of Family Issues, 32(1), 75-98. doi:10.1177/0192513X10375410