Foster care isn’t just a chance to do something incredible for the community, and help vulnerable children who’ve had a tough beginning to life; it’s also a chance to become immersed in a culture that’s different from your own, and gain a better insight into complex socio-economic issues in Australia involving diversity.
Foster care and addressing cultural diversity are often intertwined. In this post, the team at Anglicare Victoria explain why diversity is such a major consideration when becoming a foster carer.
First Nation disproportionality in foster care
Sadly, there is a disproportionate amount of First Nation children in foster care. On June 30 2020, there were 9,095 children in Victoria who were in out-of-home care. 2,450 of these children came from Indigenous backgrounds; more than 26% of the total amount of children in out-of-home care.
As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent only 1.0% of Victoria’s population, the disproportion of First Nation children in foster care is grave. This evidence has been an important motivator in Anglicare Victoria’s commitment to cultural connection and diversity in all avenues of our work – not just foster care.
Anglicare Victoria’s commitment to culture and diversity
Anglicare Victoria understands that an ongoing commitment to cultural connection and diversity is the best way to deliver a high quality level of care for every Australian. That’s why there are cultural spaces created by Regional Reconciliation Committees at each Anglicare Victoria site. These spaces are a safe place to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences, identities and the intimate relationships Aboriginal people have with kinship, culture, connection and Country.
These spaces have been invaluable in informing foster carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and can help massively in addressing cultural and diversity issues when starting the journey of foster care.
Importance of keeping cultural ties while in foster care
Imagine the following situation: a 9-year-old girl is removed from her birth parents as a result of neglect. She comes from a non-Australian background, and her neighbourhood largely consists of people from the same background as her. She’s constantly surrounded by language, customs, music and art, food and practices of her ethnic background.
To remove a child from this particular environment and place her in a foster home which, on all levels, if foreign from what she’s known her whole life, can have serious impacts on her happiness, well-being and self-perception.
That’s why one of the key missions of foster carers is not only to encourage contact between foster children and their birth families, but to keep connected with their culture, too. Here are some of the reasons why it’s crucial for foster kids to remain connected with their cultural backgrounds:
- Cultural connection can give foster kids strength
In the hypothetical example we used, you can see the increased vulnerability of a child removed from their cultural background. By keeping that child connected with their culture throughout foster care, you’re giving them a sense of familiarity and normalcy, which can translate to hope and strength in the bigger picture.
- Improved coping abilities
Strong connections with cultural identity have been shown to improve a foster child’s ability to cope with the situation of being removed from their family home. By having close ties with their culture while in foster care, they gain a sense that the window to their birth family is still open, helping many foster kids cope with the stress of being removed from their home in the first place.
Contact your local agency today
Addressing the cultural and diversity issues associated with foster care is a complex space to navigate, but with the help of Anglicare Victoria, we’re confident you’ll be fully equipped to deliver the best level of care to children of all backgrounds.
If you’ve decided on helping the community in the biggest way possible, Anglicare Victoria can help you start the journey of foster care. Our mission is to empower and support children who’ve had a tough start to life by giving them safe, loving foster homes all over Victoria. If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer, contact our Carer Recruitment Team and enquire about applying today.
