With it being South Asian Heritage Month, it feels important to think about culture, identity and belonging, especially for children and young people in care.
Growing up can be difficult enough on its own. For children who come into care, those difficulties can often be made more complicated by separation, uncertainty and change. Alongside the practical need for safety, stability and support, there is also a deeper question many children carry with them beneath the surface: Who am I?
For some young people, questions around identity can begin in small, everyday ways: Why is my hair different from my friends? Why does my family eat different food? Why do we speak another language at home? Why do certain traditions matter? For others, the questions may become bigger over time. Where do I come from? What parts of my story still belong to me? How do I hold on to who I am while living somewhere new?
Many children are able to explore these questions through family, community and the people around them. They may have direct access to stories, traditions, faith, language, food, music, celebrations and a wider sense of cultural belonging. These things can help a young person feel rooted. They can offer pride, comfort and connection.
But this is not always straightforward for children in care.
A child may be living away from their birth family, away from their local community, or away from people who naturally understand parts of their background. That does not mean they cannot thrive. Many foster carers do brilliant, thoughtful work to support children whose experiences are different from their own, but it does mean that culture and identity need to be treated with care.
It is not about assuming every child feels the same way about culture. Some people take great pride in traditions passed down through generations. Others may feel less connected to them, or may not see culture as something they think about every day. Both can be true. Culture is not always obvious, but it can still shape how someone understands themselves and their place in the world.
Children should not have to feel that parts of themselves need to be left at the door when they enter a foster home. Nor should they have to lose connection with their background in order to feel safe somewhere new. A good foster home can offer stability, patience, consistency and care while still making space for a child’s history, family links, beliefs and sense of self.
When fostering services have carers from a range of ethnicities, cultures, faiths, languages and life experiences, there is more room to make thoughtful matches. A child may be placed with someone who understands their background directly, or with someone who can help keep important parts of their identity visible and respected.
It might mean a child has someone who understands how to care for their hair. It might mean familiar food in the house. It might mean support around faith, festivals or language. It might mean having someone who recognises the small cultural details that can easily be missed, but can mean a great deal to a young person.
For some children, being cared for by someone who shares part of their background can offer a sense of recognition. It can show them that their culture is not something separate from everyday life, but something that can be carried with pride, comfort and confidence.
This is why recruiting diverse foster carers is so important. It gives children more choice, more understanding and more opportunity to stay connected to the things that matter to them.
Fostering is about helping a child feel safe, but it is also about helping them feel seen. Their identity, culture and background are part of that.
During South Asian Heritage Month, we celebrate the richness of South Asian heritage and the contribution of South Asian communities across the UK. It is also a reminder of the importance of making sure children and young people in care are supported to understand, value and hold on to their own stories, whatever those stories may be.
Diverse foster carers help make that possible.
If you have ever thought about fostering, we would love to hear from you. Your background, experience and culture could make a real difference to a child or young person who needs a safe and supportive home.
Get in touch with us through our enquiry form here:
https://thecft.org.uk/enquire-today/
