If a family is requesting cross-racial placements, but the evaluation indicates that the family should not parent cross-racially, how does the agency handle this?
A-An agency may not assess ability to parent cross-racially or cross-culturally. Further, the following principles, based on Public Law 103-382 titled Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA) and Public Law 104-188, titled Small Business Job Protection Act of 1966, Section 1808, Removal of Barriers to Interethnic Adoption, are to be followed: It is not acceptable to operate from a general position that parenting cross-racially or cross-culturally requires unique skills. It is not acceptable to delay a placement until a racial, cultural or ethnic match can be made between foster or adoptive parents and the child. Race, culture or ethnicity may only be considered in placement selection on an individual basis, that is, when an evaluation of a specific child results in a determination that race, culture or ethnicity must be considered as placement factors in the best interests of the specific child due to the presence of unique, identifiable elements in that childs history. Therefore, it i
