Press releases
Experts question waiting times for minority ethnic children
Issued: 2 July 2008
The fiercely debated topic of waiting times for adoption and permanent placement for black and minority ethnic children in care will be discussed at a conference in London on Monday 7th July 2008.
The conference, which is being organised by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF), will be looking at trends and challenges in child care work with black minority ethnic children in public care and will be identifying culturally sensitive strategies in the planning, placement and support of these children.
Speakers and delegates will also be exploring the race and culture debate, looking at the outcomes of black and Asian children raised by white families, discussing existing research in the area and how to most effectively meet children’s needs.
Speakers at the conference include Ravinder Barn, Professor of Social Policy and Social Work at Royal Holloway and Julie Selwyn, Director of the Hadley Centre for Adoption & Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.
Delegates will also be hearing from Chris Atkins of the Transnational and Transracial Adoption Group, who is herself an adopted person, and Dr Perlita Harris Lecturer in Social Work at Goldsmiths College and editor of ‘In Search of Belonging’ a collection of memoirs by adults trans-racially adopted as children.
There will also be the opportunity to hear from young people themselves, talking about their personal experiences.
David Holmes, Chief Executive of BAAF says: “It is vital that every child for whom adoption is the plan is able to achieve it and this conference will shine a spotlight on the placement needs of BME children. It will also explore the debate around trans-racial adoption and how to ensure the best possible outcomes for the children involved. These are very complex issues and finding the right balance can be difficult, but we hope the conference will provide useful guidance to practitioners.”
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Notes to editors:
- For more information, please call BAAF press office on 020 7421 2633 or email
jane.elston@baaf.org.uk. For out of hours enquiries, call the press office mobile on 07767 444 589.
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