Fostering Young People of a Different Race

Credit hours:

3.00

Course Summary

Especially while in foster care, a young person's care and development, should be the top concern of all supportive adults involved. Foster parents may need to take unique steps to ensure the young person's well-being if the child's cultural background is different from than their own. This means creating an intentional plan to develop a thorough respect and understanding of the young person's religion, cultural values, customs, and beliefs. As outlined in the following course, honoring a child or young person’s cultural connections, practices, and specific needs can give a young person a sense of permanency and belonging that will benefit them in emotional, mental and spiritual ways.

In this course, you can expect to learn:

Considerations to weigh before committing to becoming a parent to a young person of a different race
Actions to take to ensure children and youth in care maintain a strong sense of racial identity and connection to culture
the importance of cultural connections for children and youth in care
Strategies to minimize the impact of being placed in a home that is culturally different to a child or youth’s own identity and culture
Steps to take to make your home a bicultural home that celebrates a bicultural family

Step 1

Review the "Transracial Parenting in Foster Care and Adoption" guidebook created to help parents and children in transracial homes learn how to thrive in and celebrate their bicultural family; and for children to gain a strong sense of racial identity and cultural connections.

Step 2

Watch the following video to gain perspective of the impact living in a home outside of their own culture or ethnic background can have on a young person in foster care

Step 3

Review this booklet "In the Rainbow: Cultural Best Practices in Foster Care" created by C. Kimo Alameda, Ph. D, to learn how Hawai'i, the country's most diverse state, is mindful of the trauma youth have experienced coming into the foster care system and how to minimize the impact of being placed in a home that is culturally different to a child or youth’s own identity and culture.

Step 4

Join the discussion in the comments below to answer the following question:

What challenges have you faced, or what challenges might you anticipate facing, as a bicultural foster parent?

Step 5

Finished the module? If you are logged in as a subscribed user, take the quiz to earn your Continuing Education Credit hours and certificate!

Course Discussion

6 years 4 months ago

Tamprat said:

I'm currently fostering a bi-racial child and so far her cultural concerns hasn't been very challenging

jesikad01 said:

we had a lot of family members react negtively to having an AA chid in our home which surprised and upset us. but we were able to educate them and show them it was not a scary thing

GooberDad said:

Our first African american placement was in desperate need of her hair done. luckily have a lot of African american friends who stepped up and not only did her hair for me but showed me how to maintain and fix it.

shannonk said:

How will I know when is the right time to start discussions with my son about his African-American culture and introduce him to experiences that will help strengthen his cultural identity?

6 years 5 months ago

mistydlance said:

As she matures, will she feel comfortable telling me if she feels her cultural needs are not being met?

Adream706 said:

I have seen parents foster other races and as long as the environment was nurturing the children thrived

dtcohens said:

Fostering bicultural children sometimes when they have a family outing enjoy family traditions they can rebel. Different religions and spiritual beliefs.

I feel being a bicultural foster parent my children show distance. I show love, I care about them, I involved in their life and very giving. I've kept them with their cultural and social involvement. I known I'm making a different in there live being positive not giving up on them. Providing a stable and peremant home for my bicultural children.

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