Fostering children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities

At Barnardo’s, we believe that children from BAME communities should be placed, where possible, with foster carers from the same cultural background so they will grow up in an environment where they can understand different cultures, which could help these children reflect and promote their own ethnic, cultural and religious identities.

In many areas of the UK there is a shortage of foster carers with the same cultural or ethnic background as the children coming into care. This means that children from BAME communities will often be placed with foster carers from a different background which can provide new challenges for these children not only physically, but culturally as well. 

Article 20 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that “Children who cannot be looked after by their own family have a right to special care and must be looked after properly, by people who respect their ethnic group, religion, culture and language”.

Having a strong sense of identity helps children and young people grow into happy and healthy adults. This is why Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic carers are often well placed to help foster children from the same background, as they can help these children have a sense of pride and achievement and help them make better sense of their history and identity.

If you are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic origin (BME) and looking to help children in need by fostering, then we’d love to hear from you.