Celebrating Black History Month: Uplifting Children’s Cultural Identity
This Black History Month we’re learning about the importance of centring children’s cultural identity and ensuring that their heritage is respected and celebrated while they are in foster care.
Why do we celebrate Black History Month?
Black History Month UK is a time to highlight the crucial contributions of black communities in shaping our world, to recognise the prejudices faced by the black community, and to celebrate the influence of black culture on life in the UK.
Here at Fostering People, we understand the importance of supporting children’s cultural identity in every aspect of their lives, and we respect and value the cultural heritage of every child, foster parent and staff member.
Let’s explore some ways in which foster parents can celebrate children’s heritage throughout the year, helping them to cultivate a strong sense of their identity and pride in who they are.
The importance of understanding identity in fostering
The majority of foster parents in the UK are from a white background, meaning that many children spend their time in foster care in cross-cultural placements. These foster families do an incredible job in caring for children, as they are dedicated to understanding the importance of helping children to maintain a strong connection to their heritage.
In foster care, it is widely accepted that we can reach the best outcomes for children when they live with a foster family who share their culture, whether that be sharing the same race, ethnicity or religion. There’s a real need for more foster parents from ethnic minority backgrounds, and we’re always encouraging more people to foster.
‘Sometimes you have to live it to know it,’ says foster mum Yvonne, who has been changing the lives of children in the East Midlands for the past fourteen years. ‘Often young people in care will go to school with a majority of white people, then come home to white people, but it’s important that they are able to experience their own culture.... we want them to see positive [black] role models and professional people.’
Read more of Yvonne’s story, or keep on reading to discover 5 ways in which you can help to support your foster child’s cultural identity.
5 ways to support your foster child’s cultural identity
Celebrate children’s identity at home
When you choose to become a foster parent, you’re making a dedication to support a child in every aspect of their life. Creating an inclusive environment for your foster child is an incredible way of supporting them to develop their confidence and sense of self-image.
You can help to make your home a place where their heritage is embraced in many ways, such as by learning to cook their favourite meals and by ensuring they have access to everything they need, such as the right products for their skin and hair. If your foster child isn’t from the UK, you could making an effort to learn their first language or support them to wear traditional dress. If your foster child is religious, you should ensure that you embrace their faith and encourage them to worship in whichever way feels right to them.
Be mindful of respecting your young person’s interests and accounting for their preferences, even if they differ from your own—for example, don’t criticize the music they like, harmless slang they use among their friends or their fashion choices. Doing this may make them feel as though they need to hide a part of their identity away from you, which is damaging to you relationship as a family and to your young person’s self-image.
Deepen your knowledge with our training resources
Our foster parents are always strengthening their knowledge, and one of the ways you can do this is by taking part in our range of training opportunities. Our cultural training for foster parents covers a range of topics including caring for a child from a different background to your own and how to promote equality and diversity, meaning you’ll be equipped with all the skills you need to give your foster children the best possible care.
We offer our training in multiple formats, including online modules and in-person training where you’ll have the opportunity to meet other foster parents and learn from one another’s experiences.
We encourage you to utilise other sources like your local library to continue to strengthen your understanding of your young person’s heritage and the importance of supporting children’s cultural growth. A great place to start is our resource booklet, developed specially for Black History Month.
Take an intersectional approach
To take an intersectional approach means to recognise the ways in which different forms of oppression can intertwine and impact upon a person’s life. It’s important to develop a deep understanding of the intersectionality between the different forms of prejudice which the child in your care may face.
‘Most children living with our foster parents are likely to be at a disadvantage to the majority of young people as a result of the adversity they have experienced in the early years of their life,’ said Glenda, one of our managers in the East Midlands. ‘Young people with additional protected characteristics are at greater risk of disadvantage, which has the potential to impact on their immediate and longer term life experiences and potential.’
It’s important that we recognise that, along with prejudices such as racism, young people in foster care may encounter prejudice due to harmful stereotypes about people with experience of living in care. One way which this can impact children with ethnic minority heritage in particular is through Adultification. Adultification is the misguided and dangerous practice of treating children as though they are more mature than they really are. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about Adultification through our online training platform.
Support children’s mental health
Here at Fostering People we take a therapeutic approach to foster care. One of your crucial roles as a foster parent is to support the mental wellbeing of the children you care for. People from ethnic minority backgrounds face racism on both an institutional and interpersonal level, which can be damaging to a person’s mental health. Racial discrimination can come in many forms, including verbal or online abuse, stereotyping and micro-aggressions.
Ensure that race it a topic you speak openly about in your home, and encourage your young person to talk openly about their experiences. Really listen to what they say when they’re ready to share, reassuring them that their feelings are valid. Be an advocate for them when they need support, and ensure that both you and your young person understand what help is available to you if they face abuse or discrimination, whether online, at school or in any other environment.
We recommend that you read our guidance on how to support a child who is struggling with their mental health, as well as this fantastic article from the YoungMinds charity about how to support children whose mental health is impacted by racism. Talk to your Supervising Social Worker if you believe that a young person in your care could benefit from additional support such as counselling.
Reach out for support
Our team here at Fostering People are well-prepared to support you and the children who you care for in every aspect of your lives together. Your family will receive comprehensive support from a range of professionals including your Supervising Social Worker and our CEOP online safety ambassador.
As well as our excellent training, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other foster parents from a wide range of backgrounds at our regular foster parent support groups. Learning from other experienced foster parents in is a fantastic way of developing your skills, and our local fun family events will provide opportunities for your young person to build a community of friends and role models who share their experiences.
For children in cross-cultural placements, we’ve also designed an action plan for every child which is tailored to their unique needs and regularly reviewed to ensure that everyone involved in their care is doing everything can to support their cultural heritage. By working together to achieve the best outcomes for children from an ethnic minority background, we can all do our part in helping to strengthen a child’s sense of who they are.
Understanding identity and diversity throughout the year
It’s so important to help children to understand and embrace their heritage, helping them to be proud of who they are and what makes them special. This Black History Month, let’s all make a commitment to continue working every day to help children to understand their cultural identity.
Do you think you might be ready to foster? Here at Fostering People we’re always ready to welcome new foster parents from all different backgrounds so that we can help change the lives of more children together. Reach out to us today on 0800 077 8159 or by filling in our enquiry form to speak with a member of our team who will help you learn more about becoming part of our team of caring, committed foster parents.