Addressed to practitioners working with adoptive families, this book examines the question: How do professionals help children and families make transracial adoptions and foster care placements work? The book describes specific ways to ensure that children develop positive racial and cultural identities and how professionals can better serve transracial families. Further, the book addresses concerns such as cultural competence and the recruitment of minority adoptive and foster parents. Case studies and "myths" of transracial adoption provide additional background information. The book is presented in three parts. Part 1, "Introducing Families to Racial and Cultural Issues," discusses identity formation and how power shapes a child's positive identity; this part also assists practitioners in identifying the impact of transracial adoption and foster care on the child. Part 2, "Providing Services to Transracial Families," reviews assessment tools and curricula for prospective foster and adoptive parents, discusses preparation for transracial placements, provides an overview of parenting tasks and specific skills that parents in transracial families should have, and offers an overview of activities related to the child's education, medical/health concerns, community networking, financial, and legal tasks. Part 3, "Professional Concerns," discusses how staff can be better prepared to serve transracial families, discusses federal requirements for states to recruit a racially diverse pool of families, reviews techniques for improving family retention, and provides an overview of future trends in transracial adoptions and foster placements. Six appendices include excerpts from self-assessment and training materials, resources for parents and practitioners, and summaries of relevant federal legislation. Contains 45 references. (KB)