Transracial/Transnational Parenting (Building Community Across Cultures)

We believe transracial adoption can work beautifully if the parents are serious about helping their child build a positive racial identity. We don't subscribe to the "colorblind" or "love is enough" approach—we believe that race matters and that parents who are adopting across racial lines must commit to making changes in their own lives to support their children. We are here to support you in that process.

Pact has created the Building Community Across Cultures (BCAC) program for families who are considering transracial or transnational adoption as well as those who are already parenting children of a different race. If you have been wondering exactly how to bring more diversity into your family's circle, we can help.

• For those adopting internationally, BCAC fulfills the Hague education requirements.
• For those pre-adoptive families who wish to be considered as candidates for Pact's placement services, and are planning to adopt across racial lines (no parent will share racial or ethnic identity with the child), we require participation in the BCAC program prior to beginning the placement application with Pact.
• BCAC is available to all transracial adopters whether or not they are using Pact's placement services.

We urge pre-adoptive families to complete the BCAC program early in their adoption process, because we have learned from experience that once a family adopts a child, they tend to turn inward to "nest" for several years while they adjust to their new family life. Later, when they feel ready to make connections and address their child's racial and cultural needs, they find that they have already put into place many "building blocks" of community that can be difficult to change once they're established.

We offer versions of the BCAC program for both pre-adoptive and post-adoptive families:

Is Transracial Adoption the Right Choice for Our Family?

We offer you the benefit of our decades of personal and professional experience with the challenges and joys of transracial adoption. Through guided self-reflection, real-life exercises, and in-person or phone consultations with Pact staff, BCAC will help you decide whether or not transracial adoption is the right choice for your family. Should you do it? Are you prepared for what lies ahead? What race child are you best prepared to adopt and how do you decide? What issues do you need to consider if you're already parenting children who share your race? BCAC supports you as you assess your current lifestyle and community and your readiness to successfully parent a child of color. Prospective transracial adoptive parents find this process challenging, eye-opening, and immensely helpful.

For the paperwork you'll need prior to scheduling and paying for your consultation, please download the forms below. If you have questions, please contact us at consult@pactadopt.org or (510) 243-9460.

Required consultations for pre-adoptive parents considering transracial adoption through Pact. If you're considering transracial adoption through pact, please use the "Pact Applicant" forms, everyone else use the other two forms.

• BCAC Pact Applicant Questionnaire (110KB | )
• BCAC Pact Applicant Consultation Fee Agreement (162KB | )
• BCAC Questionnaire (110KB | )
• BCAC Consultation Fee Agreement (159KB | )

Already Doing It - How Can We Do Better?

This consultation will help you assess the cultural diversity in your family and community life, and what needs to change. What is going well? Where are your challenge areas? How has life changed since you adopted transracially? What connections do you already have with communities of color, and what connections do you need to create? The BCAC program involves self-directed assignments done at home to explore real-life scenarios, and helps you create a plan with specific tasks you will accomplish. You will have at least three meetings (in person or by phone) with Pact staff, as well as check-ins as needed to help your children become strong, proud and culturally competent adults of color.

For the paperwork you'll need prior to scheduling and paying for your consultation, please download the forms below. If you have questions, please contact us at consult@pactadopt.org or (510) 243-9460.

• BCAC-Already Doing It Questionnaire (101KB | )
• BCAC-Already Doing It Consultation Fee Agreement (159KB | )

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