It’s imperative when children are placed in out-of-home care with foster care or relative caregivers that their cultural upbringing and beliefs remain a top priority of consideration for child welfare professionals. When children are placed with caregivers and in communities who understand the importance of maintaining a sense of culture, being culturally responsive, and having a sense of cultural humility, there is greater opportunity for children to build on their strengths and thrive. The resources below offer ways that child welfare professionals, caregivers, and communities can achieve a greater level of cultural responsiveness when placing children in out-of-home care.
Achieving Racial Equity (PDF - 13,622 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2015)
Highlights policy strategies that are geared towards improving outcomes for children and families of color who are involved in the child welfare systems.
Child Welfare Practice to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparity
Cultural Considerations
Futures Without Violence
Encourages child welfare and other professionals to consider the unique needs of families, including kinship care families, and provide culturally specific responses to violence.
Culture & Language
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Describes how organizations, including child welfare agencies working with kinship families, can increase communication effectiveness when they recognize and work to bridge cultural differences that may contribute to miscommunication.
Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations: A Resource Guide for Community-Based Organizations
National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families (2017)
Identifies resources on competency that child welfare professionals can use to better understand cultural competency and provide culturally responsive services.
Fostering Young People of a Different Race
FosterClub
Emphasizes the importance of cultural connections for foster youth. This online course also provides information on how to minimize the impact of being placed in a home with a different culture.
The Importance of Cultural Competence
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children (2018)
Discusses how cultural competence can allow child welfare professionals to be more effective with the various and diverse parties in cases.
Keeping Kids Connected to Their Culture Through Kinship Placements
AdoptUSKids (2021)
Discuses challenges and solutions from professionals that see various needs in their workplace.
Strong African American Families
Evidenced Based Prevention and Intervention Support
Created to advance the well-being of African American families by strengthening relationships, parenting processes, and youth competencies.
Supporting Cultural Identity for Children in Foster Care
Stafanson (2019)
Child Law Practice Today
Examines how practitioners can best support cultural identity in youth in foster care as those youth deal with trauma, changing home environments, and lower levels of social well-being.