‘I’m Black but I don’t feel like I am’ – Young people’s experiences of living in transracial foster placements

Abstract

Transracial foster placements are the placement of ethnic minority youths with ethnic majority foster families. Some exploration into the challenges faced by ethnic minority youths living in transracial families have highlighted a loss of identity, managing racial discrimination and white privilege. So far, the research has looked at the perspective of care leavers, adoptees and carers, however there is little research that aims to understand the perspective of the child whilst they are living in transracial foster families. This pilot study aimed to explore ethnic minority youth’s experiences of transracial foster placements, with a view to developing a training package for foster carers. Eight ethnic minority young people, aged between 12 and 18 years old, living in transracial foster placements took part in semi-structured interviews about their lived experiences. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data and an inductive approach was taken. Three themes were identified: loss of identity; living in a white world; advice for foster carers. The findings of the study outline the many challenges that young people face living in transracial foster families and highlight the need for training, policy development and further research.