Black Adoption Matters provides support for Black families
BY TIA CAROL JONES
Deborah Farmer and Tamara Brown want to support Black families going through the adoption process with Black Adoption Matters.
It all started with a post on social media that led to a conversation. Deborah Farmer adopted her son Joshua through foster care adoption and chronicled the experience in her book, “My Journey
to Joshua.” Tamara Brown had been on her adoption journey, starting out with foster care adoption then going to private domestic adoption. She wanted to support Deborah by purchasing some merchandise from the website.
Tamara posted a photo of herself in an “Adopt” hat from Deborah’s website. Deborah saw it and reached out to Tamara. She shared her story with Deborah, who has become her cheerleader and supporter.
The goal of Black Adoption Matters is to create dialogue, remove stigma, bring awareness and provide support.
Deborah’s process was pretty seamless because she knew people that worked in the social service industry and organizations with foster care.
“I found, at least, in conversations, many people wanted to consider foster care or adoption but didn’t know how to go about it, didn’t know what steps to take. I really wanted to be in a position to support
and help them get across the finish line,” Deborah said.
Adoption and foster care were something Tamara grew up around. She had four adopted cousins. She said adoption was something deposited into her spirit. She didn’t say anything to anyone when she decided to adopt. She started the process in 2017.
Tamara found that the adoption landscape is not regulated. The language is not consistent. “I was just really blown away by all of the nuances and how unregulated it is. That makes it even more difficult for Black adoptive parents, because if you’re already not talking about it, which is consistent in our community … When people talk to me about it, they lower their voice like a whisper, I’m like, ‘you don’t have to whisper, it’s OK, we’re talking about adoption, it’s OK,’” Tamara said.
Add to the secrecy and shame some people relate to adoption, along with the fees, it can be intimidating for Black families.
Tamara advises people who are interested in adoption to attend an orientation through a local Department of Children and Family Services or adoption service. Those orientations provide people with
information and resources.
Black Adoption Matters provides information and helps connect people with agencies that are looking to place children in homes. It serves as a portal.
The most frequent question people ask is where to begin, then how much does it cost. It does not cost money to go foster care through adoption, which many people don’t know. Tamara and Deborah find
themselves educating people.
Deborah wants people to speak up and to let people know that if they want to adopt, and that they do not have to move in silence or shame.
Deborah wanted to be Tamara’s cheerleader because she didn’t want Tamara to give up. When Deborah was going through the adoption process, people expressed wanting to adopt but they didn’t
go through with it.
“I just wanted to make certain that I was in a place to give her any tips or information I was privy to for going through the process and hold her hand along the way,” Deborah said.
For more information about Black Adoption Matters, visit https://www.
blackadoptionsmatter.com.
