Foster parents do so much more than provide a safe place to sleep or a meal at the table. They create a home where youth can feel seen, valued and loved during a time of crisis. For youth in foster care, safety isn’t just physical.

It’s emotional, and it’s deeply tied to culture. A child’s cultural identity shapes how they see themselves, how they connect with others and how they make sense of the world.   

When that identity is honored and respected, a child can begin to feel the stability, trust and belonging they need to heal. Supporting a youth’s cultural identity in foster care may feel unfamiliar, especially if their background is different from your own. But don’t worry, it’s natural to feel uncertain.   

What matters most is your willingness to learn, listen and create space for a child or teen to be fully themselves. When caregivers honor and celebrate a child’s cultural identity, youth are more likely to feel safe, confident and truly seen in their care.

Learn more about why it’s important to support cultural identity and some tips on how to do it.

Why Cultural Identity Matters in Foster Care 

Youth in foster care have already been uprooted from their normal lives during a time of significant change and loss. Even though this is necessary for their safety and stability, this transition still comes with some disruption. Upon entering a foster home that doesn’t share the same cultural background, a child or teen may struggle to connect with the cultural identity that is so integral to who they are. 

When a youth’s culture is ignored or minimized, they may feel: 

• Invisible or misunderstood 

• Pressured to assimilate into the culture in the foster home or community 

• Lonely, isolated or depressed 

• Even more disconnected from their family of origin 

When culture is honored and celebrated, youth are more likely to: 

• Feel seen, respected and valued

• Build trust with caregivers 

• Develop a healthy sense of identity, confidence and self-worth 

This is one reason why kinship care can be so beneficial. Kinship care helps youth remain in their community, their culture and their family of origin. But when this is not an option, caregivers of other cultures can still help youth in their care honor and celebrate their cultural roots! 

What “Culture” Really Includes 

Culture is a much broader spectrum than you might assume. When we think of culture, we often think of relevant holidays, food and other traditions. But these are just the beginning. A person’s culture is rooted in every aspect of who they are.

Here are some elements of culture that shouldn’t be overlooked: 

Race and Ethnicity: A person’s race and ethnicity significantly affect how they experience the world, especially for those in historically marginalized communities. 

Language and Communication Styles: English may not be a youth’s first language, presenting communication barriers. Even if they come from an English-speaking home, cultural differences can still influence the way they communicate and interpret different words, phrases or gestures. 

Family Traditions and Roles: A youth may have different expectations and assumptions about their role within a household and the caregivers’ roles, because of different lived experiences. 

Hair, Skin Care and Physical Presentation: The way they express themselves physically, from styling their hair to skin care to the way they dress or do their makeup, may be a significant part of their sense of self with roots in their culture. It can be challenging to lose access to something as simple as the hygiene products that work for their bodies, especially when they are integrated into their culture. This is especially important for youth with textured hair, who require different hair care practices.  

Faith, Spirituality or Religious Practices: If a youth differs from you in terms of their faith or religious practices, this should be respected. Caregivers should find ways to help the youth in their care remain connected with their spirituality if they so desire.  

Values, Humor, Music and Storytelling: The music you grow up listening to, the jokes you tell, the stories you read and the values you hold differ from person to person. Culture is often a big factor in these sorts of decisions and experiences, and staying connected with the music, stories, art and even humor that they grew up with can help youth feel more grounded in their roots.  

Community Ties and Geographic Roots: Whether they immigrated to the United States or were born here, children still often have a sense of connection with their family’s country of origin, no matter how many generations back. They also may have been very connected with a local community of peers that they were uprooted from when entering foster care. 

Everyday Ways Foster Parents Can Honor Cultural Identity

If you are a foster parent or caregiver supporting a youth with a different cultural identity than your own, there are many big and small ways you can show your support and respect for who they are. Here are some practical ways to instill confidence in youth and help them remain connected to their culture: 

Create Space for Expression 

• Start with curiosity! Ask open-ended, nonjudgmental questions and invite them to share what they value, but don’t pressure them to share. 

• Let them choose what they wear, what music they listen to and how they style their hair. 

• Display books, art and media that reflect their background and ask what sorts of media and entertainment they like. 

Support Physical and Practical Needs 

• Learn appropriate hair and skin routines, and ask older youth what products they need for their hair and skincare. Reference the Textured Hair Guide for detailed support! 

• Advocate for culturally responsive healthcare when needed, helping ensure a child’s medical needs are understood and addressed.

• Be mindful of food preferences and routines, especially when tied to their culture. 

Maintain Connections (When Possible) 

• Support appropriate connections with their family, community and cultural traditions. 

• Ask what holidays and milestones they celebrate and how they celebrate them. 

• Validate their feelings over missing familiar traditions or environments. Even if you make every effort to represent their culture in your home, it won’t be the same. It’s okay and valid for them to grieve that loss, regardless of the likelihood of reunification. 

Model Respect and Openness

• Admit when you don’t know something! It’s great to embrace learning and growing, and they may even enjoy serving as the expert on their culture and sharing it with you. 

• Avoid minimizing or explaining away cultural differences. 

• Have a zero-tolerance policy in your home about stereotyping and using non-inclusive language. 

• Don’t make assumptions based on what you’ve read about their culture or experienced with previous youth of similar backgrounds. Every person is unique and will have different approaches to how they honor and express their cultural identity. 

How KVC Kansas Supports Culturally Responsive Foster Care 

We are and will always be committed to providing culturally responsive care for children and teens across the state. That commitment begins with supporting foster parents through training, ongoing education, guidance from care teams and case managers and practical tools like the textured hair care guide. We partner with foster parents every step of the way to encourage learning, growth and confidence.

Progress Over Perfection 

Honoring cultural identity is about openness, effort and respect.

You don’t have to be perfect (no one is), and mistakes are completely normal. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes, apologize and do better next time. Humility and curiosity can go a long way toward helping youth feel safe in a home where their culture is not as organically represented, and small but consistent acts of respect can have a lasting impact. 

When youth feel seen and valued for who they are, healing and belonging can grow. If you want to help youth in foster care experience this level of care, consider becoming a foster parent with KVC Kansas.