7.19 Trans-racial Placements - Race, Culture and Identity Issues

Factors for Consideration Regarding Children in Trans-racial Placements

As children pick up subtle messages about themselves and their place in society from those around them and these messages subsequently contribute to the image and identity they form of themselves, if no appropriate black family can be found for a black child, the following should be considered:

Do the carers show an understanding and appreciation of other cultures?
Are the carers able to address the child’s dietary needs?
Are the carers sensitive to the style of the child’s dress, e.g. are they aware of the names of different garments?
Do the carers have an awareness of how to care for the child’s hair and skin?
Are the carers able to support the child’s religious and linguistic needs?
Will the child be racially isolated? They may thus be exposed to increased levels of racism, prejudice and intolerance with fewer opportunities for support.
How can contact with the child’s birth family/community group are maintained – their link with their heritage – and the provision of positive role models?
How can the child be supported when they experience racism – who will help the child develop the coping strategies necessary to manage this?
Do the carers have access to resources to support the child’s identity development?
Has or will training be provided to support carers fill in the gaps in their knowledge, experience, contacts etc.?

Checklist for Considering Race, Culture and Identity Issues in Family Placement

The following is to be used as a checklist for considering race, culture and identity issues in placing children from minority groups in substitute families. Gaps in information necessary to make appropriate placements should be highlighted.

Circle the appropriate answer

1.	Have you considered the rights of the child?		Yes/No
	What does the child want?;
2.	Have you considered and listed the priority needs of the child, including race, religion, language, class/background, attachment and ongoing contact with birth family?		Yes/No
3.	Have you taken expert advice?		Yes/No
	Please specify;
4.	Have you read the guidelines for taking mitigating steps in Family Placement?		Yes/No
5.	Have you made risk assessments in the following four domains?
	i.	Individual Child or Young Person	Yes/No
	ii.	Family of Origin	Yes/No
	iii.	Substitute Family	Yes/No
	iv.	Social & Healthcare Department	Yes/No
6.	Have you listed the risks identified and possible mitigating steps to be taken?		Yes/No
	Please record the risks even if it is not possible to record the mitigating steps.
7.	List the different options available to you and score each on a scale of 1-10 in respect of ease of difficulty of mitigating the negative effects. Easy /1..............................................................................................10/ Difficult
8.	What are the cultural/religious expectations of the child’s background?
9.	Have you taken account of the view of the parents in selecting a family?		Yes/No
10.	Are prospective carers able to do the following to promote a positive ethnic identity?		Yes/No
	a.	Encourage confidence by letting a child know they are special	Yes/No
	b.	Provide images of various ethnic groups (books, dolls, clothing, music)	Yes/No
	c.	Provide appropriate ethnic role models to avoid racial isolation	Yes/No
	d.	Handle racist incidents positively, e.g. challenging the school system	Yes/No
	e.	Access language lessons/religious instruction	Yes/No
	f.	Link with a family who can offer appropriate cultural/ religious/linguistic experience. (This might be offered by a member of the birth family)	Yes/No
	g.	Access advice about relevant resources and organisations	Yes/No
	h.	Undertake identity work	Yes/No
	i.	Celebrate important holidays, events of the child’s ethnic/religious background.	Yes/No
	j.	Follow prescribed ethnic and religious requirements.	Yes/No
	k.	Able to facilitate appropriate contact of family members.	Yes/No

End