Children from ethnic minority backgrounds take (on average) three times longer to be adopted than children from white backgrounds. Is it because families only want white children? No, that's completely false. Social workers prevent white families or couples from adopting children of a different race. Is it because families are unable to care for a child? Once again, this is misleading. Social workers expect a “perfect match” (matching a black child with a black family, for example) even if it means the child will never be adopted. The revised adoption guidelines, which came into force on April 1, 2011, state that prohibiting a family from adopting a child from an ethnic background different from their own is "not child-centered and is unacceptable.” Therefore, the question is: Is a child's cultural background more important than their well-being? With the UK being “incompetent” to carry out “successful transracial adoption”, the number of children waiting in foster care is absurd. Fiscal year 1998 showed that approximately 65 percent of children in foster care were ethnic minorities; 35% were white. Of all children awaiting adoption, 51% are black. Before World War II, it was unusual for white couples to adopt a child from a different culture and every effort was made to have the child match the skin color and religion of the adoptive family. Recently, a social worker said he was unsure if white people “ever understand racism.” She concludes that unless we have a “color-blind” world, interracial adoptions will never be effective. The concerns of some British social workers - that white parents can't understand...... middle of paper..... .Derrick Campbell says: 'No, that's not the case. » Derrick Campbell: a man who can't seem to understand that a child's main needs are love, care and attention. He should keep his narrow and provincial opinions to himself. The decision that it is not acceptable to prohibit a family from adopting a child from an ethnic minority has been years in the making. I don't understand why it took so long but the adoption service finally opened their eyes and realized that a child needs love! Yes, our heritage is important. But is it more important than a child's needs? .trixonline.co.uk/website/news/pdf/policy_briefing_No-14.pdfhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12513403http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pEqYLlhpDg