Black History Month

& why diverse foster families reinforce positive self-esteem in looked-after children.

There are no blueprints in fostering. Every child is unique and maintaining or building their sense of self relies heavily on the environments our foster carers can provide. Matching children to a family that can support their heritage, culture and traditions can help soften the blow of being moved out of the family home.

This years theme for Black History Month is all about Reclaiming Narratives, an invitation for those to take control of how stories about Black Heritage are told.

At The Children’s Family Trust we support families from many different backgrounds as they work to unleash the potential of young people in their care. Whether they are culturally aligned or not, we empower all of our carers to deliver on the diverse cultures that our young people come from. Maintaining those culturally significant aspects of daily life, from music and food to hair styles and skincare, it is key to the services we provide and the effectiveness of the placement.

Children in care are often defined by their care experience, and whilst an impactful part of a looked-after child’s history – they are sons, daughters, siblings, cousins, neices and nephews that have a story beyond their status as a looked-after child. Maintaining connections to their heritage, framed by those who have lived it, supports a healthy perception of oneself and echoes the environment that has shaped that young person’s life. Where possible, transitioning a young person to a culturally aligned foster carer is always top priority.

Have a lasting impact – Become a foster carer

In order to provide for the thousands of young people in care in this country today. Fostering relies on the diversity of the carers we work with and ensures young people feel connected to their history, culture in order to thrive.

This Black History Month we ask, could you support a generation of young people in care attempting to reclaim their stories?