Understanding the multiple, meaningful, and overlapping elements of the social identity of children who are in foster care. How can foster care systems and foster carers provide quality care?

Children with diverse backgrounds (e.g., ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity) and characteristics (e.g., abilities) are overrepresented in foster care, and evidence shows that these groups of children tend to face additional challenges, such as being misunderstood by professionals and foster carers and experiencing more placement breakdowns. Foster care systems can be disconnected from children’s needs and realities, thus reasserting normative standards and perpetuating inequalities. Additionally, there is reduced evidence on the specific needs of diverse groups of children who are in foster care, more specifically regarding their social identity and how the different elements of social identity intersect (race, ethnicity, gender identity, sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, and other social categories). Young people who are in foster care, social workers, and foster carers across four foster care systems, England, Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands, will share their perspectives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the three objectives of the project: i) to analyse the social identity development of children who are in foster care in four countries through the lens of intersectionality ii) to explore and compare the foster care systems (legislation, policy, practice, and research) and the support provided to children’s social identity development in four countries and, iii) to identify quality indicators of foster carers to support children’s social identity development, in four countries. The project will contribute unique and novel insights into children's social identity development, which can advance research, enhance practice processes of quality care, inform policy, and ultimately improve children's developmental outcomes.