Blog - Should White Parents Adopt Black Kids?

When the Department of Children and Families would ask us to take a foster child, we didn’t ask, “what race are they?” But when an African American child came to our home, we tried to be prepared. We researched the best products for African American hair and skin care (thank you, YouTube), we made sure we had books about African American heroes and history on hand, and we looked for movies that would feature African Americans as the main characters. We are fortunate to live in an area that is diverse and people of color are accepted as friends, classmates, and neighbors.

For Michael Gaither, adopted into a loving white family in Lincoln, Nebraska in the 1970’s, a white society is all he knew. His neighborhood, school, and church were all white. There were no lessons about his heritage, no heroes he could identify with, and no kids that looked like him. When he asked questions about his race, the conversations were brief, uncomfortable, and gradually, became almost non-existent. From his experience, he has written a free guide titled, 

“The First 5 Signs Your Black Child is Carrying Something They Haven’t Told You. A Free Guide for White Parents Raising Black Children.” 

This is the guide that he wished his parents had when he was growing up to facilitate conversations and create an experience that celebrated his culture.

Michael’s free guide provides a roadmap for foster, adoptive, kinship and blended families to begin honest conversations with kids about growing up in a multiracial family. It is a great resource for teachers and therapists as well.

I highly recommend listening to Michael’s interview on the Adoption and Foster Care Journey podcast: The AFCJ Podcast - Ep. 538 What White Parents Raising Black Children Need to Know w/ Michael Gaither - YouTube

To find all of Michael’s guides and articles visit his website: Beyond the Moment Adoption Studio | Michael Gaither