This paper presents the views of an early childhood educator who is also a parent of biracial children on the following topics: interracial families, biracial children, and ways in which early childhood programs and schools should work with these families and children. Discussion focuses on mixed backgrounds, the need for and use of appropriate…

Explores the child welfare placement needs of children of black mixed parentage, focusing on research evidence relating to the overrepresentation of children of mixed parentage in care, social workers' perceptions of ethnic differences relative to their own ethnic groups, and possible trends in placement of children of mixed parentage. (HTH)

This report presents five commonly held stereotypes about children in the United States and analyzes their validity through discussion of data related to each. These stereotypes include: (1) births to unmarried women have increased tremendously mostly because of women of color; (2) child poverty is a problem in the inner city, not in the suburbs…

Discussions about interracial families usually end with the question, "but what about the children?" This paper examines the prerequisites of parenting biracial children, whether in foster, adoptive, one-, or two-parent families and provides suggestions to help parents of biracial children in their child rearing. The paper identifies…

Looks at transracially adoptive and biologically multiracial families. These families need support and understanding because much of society is uncomfortable with them. It is important not to stereotype children of such families. The article presents suggestions to help these parents enrich their childrens' lives. (SM)

Although researchers have investigated the development of racially-mixed persons of backgrounds other than black, little attention has been given to children of black and white parents. For children to view their mixed-racial background positively, the family must nurture both parts of the child's background by providing the child with both black…

Describes the struggles children of multiracial families face in their daily lives and at school where they commonly experience the social isolation of not belonging to a defined group. The commentary, "Shades of Grey," explores the debate over racial categories, explaining its base in changing social standards. (SLD)