My Muslim Fostering Family and our foster children
A case of a 5-year-old Christian girl who was apparently left distressed after living with Muslim carers has had a lot of attention in the media. It was reported in The Times that the family couldn't speak English amongst other things. Tower Hamlets Council has since denied these claims and defended their placements, "...saying that foster carers are chosen according to their cultural background, as well as proximity to the child's school and family."
At Anchor, we have an excellent matching process. We pride ourselves on matching the right child with the right family. We take many elements into consideration and when we think we have found a match we consult the foster families, social worker. If they agree that it's a good match we then talk to the foster family. They then have the ultimate decision. It is through strong matching that you have a strong placement that lasts.
Below you can see an article from the BBC. In the article, they speak to "... a Muslim woman who has been fostering children from all religions over 25 years."
For as long as she can remember, Esmat Jeraj's family has taken in foster children.
Their London home where she lives with her Mum, Dad, brother and sister has provided care and affection to some 60 children over a quarter of a century.
Some, like Esmat, have been Muslim, but there's been a real mix of Christians, Hindus and Sikhs too.
"I have never found ethnicity, race or religion has been an issue," says the 28-year-old community organiser.
If a child wants a bacon sandwich, we would say you can't have that in this house but we can take you to a restaurant where you can have one.
See the full article here.
