such policies, to the exclusion of other efforts, can lead to the reduction of minority ethnic children in the care system in Britain. The misconception of social workers’ efforts to find racially and culturally similar families for minority ethnic children as segregationist and racist is also a worrying trend. Equally, it is imperative upon social workers to ensure that a balanced approach is taken in the adoption of minority ethnic children and that crude matching is avoided. It is also important that a range of supportive measures are adopted to firstly obviate the need for minority ethnic children to enter care, and secondly to seriously explore varied possibilities including kinship, guardianship, and long-term foster care as valid options to achieve permanency. Unless and until politicians and policy makers begin to understand the nuanced nature of permanence and stability for minority ethnic children in care, simplistic and popular notions of TRA as a strategy will prevail. Such a notion is not only misguided, it prevents the development of other possible solutions. References: Alexander C, identities: the distance between meaning and understanding’, ‘Cohesive in Wetherell M, Lafleche M and Berkeley R (eds) Identity, Ethnicity and community London: Sage, 2007 Cohesion, Bagley C and Young L, identity, adjustment and achievement of transracially ‘The adopted children: a review and empirical report, in Verma G and Bagley C (eds) London: Macmillan, 1979 Race, Education and Identity, Bagley C, International and Transracial Adoptions: A Mental Health Perspective, Aldershot: Avebury, 1993 Barn R, London: Batsford, 1993 Black Children in the Public Care System, Barn R, Sinclair R and Ferdinand D, Acting on Principle, An Examination of Race London: BAAF, and Ethnicity in Social Services Provision to Children and Families, 1997
such policies, to the exclusion of other efforts, can lead to the reduction of minority ethnic children in the care system in Britain. The misconception of social workers’ efforts to find racially and culturally similar families for minority ethnic children as segregationist and racist is also a worrying trend. Equally, it is imperative upon social workers to ensure that a balanced approach is taken in the adoption of minority ethnic children and that crude matching is avoided. It is also important that a range of supportive measures are adopted to firstly obviate the need for minority ethnic children to enter care, and secondly to seriously explore varied possibilities including kinship, guardianship, and long-term foster care as valid options to achieve permanency. Unless and until politicians and policy makers begin to understand the nuanced nature of permanence and stability for minority ethnic children in care, simplistic and popular notions of TRA as a strategy will prevail. Such a notion is not only misguided, it prevents the development of other possible solutions. References: Alexander C, ‘Cohesive identities: the distance between meaning and understanding’, in Wetherell M, Lafleche M and Berkeley R (eds) Identity, Ethnicity and community Cohesion, London: Sage, 2007 Bagley C and Young L, ‘The identity, adjustment and achievement of transracially adopted children: a review and empirical report, in Verma G and Bagley C (eds) Race, Education and Identity, London: Macmillan, 1979 Bagley C, International and Transracial Adoptions: A Mental Health Perspective, Aldershot: Avebury, 1993 Barn R, Black Children in the Public Care System, London: Batsford, 1993 Barn R, Sinclair R and Ferdinand D, Acting on Principle, An Examination of Race and Ethnicity in Social Services Provision to Children and Families, London: BAAF, 1997
Transracial%20Adoption%20in%20Britain%20Oct2012.docx