Majority or Minority?

The most recent census data has taught us a number of things about our country.  In African-American homes, single mothers are now more common than married, two-parent households.  Social order in America is changing.  Two-parent married couples are no longer the norm for a lot of children, particularly those we have considered minority in the past.  In the 2010 census, 12 states and the District of Columbia, the population of Caucasian children fell below 50%.  Seven more states will soon flip as well.  In older Americans, the population of Caucasian seniors ranges from 73% of those aged 45-64 (baby boom generation) to 80% of those over age 65 being Caucasian.  Minority births are changing the demographics of the whole country.  Multigenerational households are most common among Hispanics, where 1 out of 10 households include multiple generations.  Same sex unmarried couples represent 1 out of 10 households where unmarried partners reside.  There is a substantial decline in the traditional family of the past.

What does this mean for adoption?  It means that as our population changes and Caucasian families become the minority, there will be more African American, Asian, and Hispanic children for adoption than Caucasian children.  In black and Hispanic cultures, female heads of household make up nearly 1/4 of all homes, whereas in Caucasian and Asian households, 9% are headed by females. Currently, the overwhelming majority of those wishing to adopt are Caucasian.  Because of the current trends, that means that there will be more trans-racial adoptions in the future.  While it has often been maintained that the best home for a child is within it's own race, that "ideal" has become impossible to achieve as the dynamics change.  Many trans-racial families are doing quite well, as racial acceptance is more common now than 50 years ago.  Presumably, we will continue to erase racial barriers over time.  For adoptive families, this means thinking about opening up to additional racial possibilities for your family as an option to waiting longer periods of time.