Original Thesis : Adoption policies should be color-blind because transracial adoption poses no problems for the functio

1. Original Thesis: Adoption policies should be color-blind because transracial adoption poses no problems for the functioning of families. Claims Claim 5:TRA does not cause problems for other interested parties Claim 2: Black families do not adopt nearly as often as white families Claim 1: Black children are disproportionately represented in foster care Claim 3: Currently structural obstacles exist for TRA Claim 4: TRA does not harm children Authority Evidence more mixed; JBP commentaries make strong arguments for fear; 2-3 popular articles suggest no reason for this fear; no scholarly piece that strongly rejects possibility of harm; 1 New Republic article (Colin Powell) supports TRA as good solution for too many black kids in foster care; suggests that black advocacy orgs should encourage black families to adopt 1 add'l pop sources makes similar argument S & A's book  no evidence for harm from longitudinal study; special issue in JBP (more recent than S&A)  no evidence that TRA problem for children, but some method. criticism and need for more data; no research compares TRA kids with foster care kids, but 2 scholarly articles review research on long-term negative effects of growing up in foster care 2-3 current websites of orgs interested in TRA that discuss the current policies (e.g.,MEPA);1 law review that discusses MEPA in depth, but takes not position (note: MEPA - not purely color-blind and applies to all agencies receiving federal funds); 1 article critical, 1 supportive of MEPA. Several sources critical of past practices that considered race, some scholarly, some popular 4-5 articles that cite stats in support of this claim; 2 are scholarly sources, others more popular but give the source for their stats 2 sources, from scholarly journals, that give stats in support of this disparity; 1 doesn't give authority for statement

2. Revised Claims Claim 5: Acknowledge that cultural concerns are valid and important, but immediate needs of children should be paramount; Also, these can be handled through different organizations that can encourage/provide incentives for more black families to adopt Claim 4: Currently no evidence to support harm; acknowledge that research is not definitive, however, because some studies weak Claim 3: Current law is not color-blind, but structural barriers are not as serious as they used to be Claim 2: O.K. but don't overstate Claim 1: O.K. Revised Thesis: Adoption policies should be completely color-blind because TRA creates a more functional family environment for children than long-term foster care. Although cultural concerns have legitimacy, the immediate needs of children who remain trapped in foster care should be paramount.