Carers from culturally or linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds are being sought to help children and young people in care to retain their connections to heritage, religion, community and culture.
The Department for Child Protection (DCP) has increased its efforts to recruit and support foster and kinship carers from CALD backgrounds, while non-government partners, such as AnglicareSA and Lutheran Care do the same.
At AnglicareSA, there are 16 CALD households who either are, or have, provided care to 30 young people from similar cultures in the past 12 months - this includes emergency, short-term and long-term care.
A further nine families are undergoing assessment and training, while another support team member with specific cultural knowledge and language skills has been recruited by the Foster Care Services. The team now boasts five staff with different languages and cultural knowledge to support the growing cohort.
One of those new CALD carers is Masooma who came to Adelaide as a refugee with her son and daughter in 2016. Several months ago, she became the carer of a young Muslim girl.
Masooma says being able to share their religion was a key part of her role as a foster carer.
There is a consistent need for carers who identify as being South Sudanese, Congolese, Afghan, Syrian, Iranian, and Iraqi. South Australians from Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, India, and Pakistan are also being called upon to become carers.
This is to 'match', wherever possible, the cultural background, language and faith of children and young people who can no longer safely live with their parents.
Children are more likely to thrive when they stay connected to their background and communities. Multicultural Services team is affiliated with about 150 community groups and leaders throughout South Australia.
South Australians from a CALD background who would like to find out more about becoming a foster carer can call 1300 2 FOSTER (1300 2 367 837) or visit www.fostercare.sa.gov.au
As put by Katrine Hildyard
It is really important for young people who cannot safely live at home to remain connected to their religion, culture and community."
I'm so thankful that carers like Masooma open their hearts and homes to children and young people from a similar background and encourage others to follow suit.
Their generosity changes lives.
I'm also grateful to DCP's outstanding Multicultural Services team who play a crucial role in helping to find the right placement for kids who really need support and who guide and work together with the excellent practitioners in the community sector on cultural considerations when placing a child with a carer family.
As put by Nagita Kaggwa, Multicultural Services Manager, DCP
The carers we need, the ideal cultural backgrounds, it's basically in line with skilled and humanitarian migration trends in South Australia.
Sometimes, these children and young people might be from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds, speak English as a second language, or follow a different faith.
We're working hard to grow our community engagement and not only to encourage people to consider becoming a carer but helping to educate communities about what child protection in Australia is.
Attributable Masooma
It's very important for every child to identify their culture and be connected.
There are the two important aspects of connection to religion and also connection to culture, so a child knows where they come from.
And as soon as our little girl came to our house, we became a happier, active household.
It has been a very positive experience, and I have felt supported along the way by AnglicareSA and the Department for Child Protection.
There have been language supports, cultural supports, and people not of my culture listening and getting to know me.
