Cultural Worldviews of Foster Parents

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Journal of Family Social Work, Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 21-42.

Children who are not part of the dominant culture are overrepresented in North American child welfare caseloads. Further, there is a scarcity of foster parents from diverse cultures, resulting in frequent transcultural placements. Important aspects of out-of-home care include the continuity of cultural heritage and identity. However, there has been little consideration of foster parents’ perception of culture. This study explored the cultural values, beliefs and traditions that foster parents were raised with and perceived as important. A total of 61 individual interviews were conducted with foster parents from a central Canadian province. Participants identified several areas that were important to them, including: nationality; spirituality; personal experience; religion; responsibilities; respect; and right and wrong. Authors suggest the need for further research in this area.

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Canadian CW research
Journal article