Cultural Identity and the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989: Ideology, Policy and Practice

Abstract

This paper considers the directive contained in the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 to maintain a child’s cultural identity when they are placed in foster care following substantiated abuse or neglect. The paper examines changes in defining cultural identity, in particular ethnicised cultural identities, with a focus on the contestable and unstable nature of cultural identity. It considers the case both for and against the references to cultural identity in the Act, and examines how the political context influences how cultural identity is defined. Some aspects of social work practice and relevant research are discussed.