The two sets of foster parents I have interviewed are both white with black children that they have either adopted or are still fostering. When I posed the questions about race and parenting the kids I got very different answers. Anne had one class on African American culture to prepare her for her children, she said basically it taught her how to care for and "do" black hair. She said she could've used some more classes. She is learning as she goes, her children are surrounded by people who are of the same race at school and at home, I truly believe this helps a great deal. Janet, on the other hand, raises all the children she has ever had as foster kids all the same. They are to respect her and her husband and she will respect them and their culture. They are to speak correct English, go to school, and their attire must look and fit appropriately (no jeans that are falling to the knees or showing their underwear). They are able to listen to their music, watch the movies and programs they like, and have their friends over. She believes all children should be raised the same.

The clip below has an African American woman at the beginning with very interesting comments. She would get mad at her foster parents (who later became her adoptive parents) because there were books in their house that were on How to Raise a Black Child. She could not understand why they needed a manual for her and not their other white children. They explained that they "don't have all the answers. We need to look to people who have parented black children who are black."



Struggles for Identity clip site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTUR1FP3NbI