‘’My Life and Me’’: Keeping foster kids in touch with their heritage

Non- Profit organization Settlement Services International (SSI), has launched a new initiative to help Australian children from multicultural backgrounds who are living in foster care to keep them connected to the history of their family and their country of origin. This initiative is a book called «My Life and Me».

The SSI Multicultural Child and Family team with Richard Rose (centre), Director of Child Trauma Intervention Services (UK). Source: Supplied

«My Life and Me» is a book, containing questions that encourage children to learn their origins and their culture.

Kathy Karatasas is the Director of Multicultural Children and Families Program at SSI. «The questions the book has are generic but can be personalised. Thus each child will learn of its own family’s history and its own cultural background» she explains.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis officially launching My Life and Me Source: Supplied

Mrs Karatasas notes that our cultural background plays a vital role in our identity.

«It starts with questions about the child itself. For example, what is my favorite color or sport» she says, adding «after that the book touches on the history of the child’s family. What do I know for my parents or my grandparents? What are the customs of the country they come from?»

My Life and Me suite of resources Source: Supplied

The book is addressed to children but it is accompanied by short guides for the foster parents and social workers. These guides help adults to have discussions with the children on sensitive topics, such as what is foster care and to talk about the specific circumstances that have led the child to live with this family.

Those interested in becoming foster parents can contact the SSI on 02 8713 9200  or via email on: [e-mail]

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