We hope that you will find resources here that will enhance your ability to understand culture and diversity and to allow you to stand up for the needs and rights of abused and neglected children both in and out of the courtroom. To view the training materials on a particular topic, simply click on the training heading to be redirected to the training materials.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: DISABILITY CULTURE & PEOPLE-FIRST LANGUAGE
When advocating for a child with a disability, it is important to be considerate of how you talk about and to, that child. In general, we should use language that puts the person first and does not define them by their disability - and when in doubt, respectfully ask the child if they have language they prefer.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF USING INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
As part of CASA's ongoing effort to better advocate for the diverse population of children that we serve, it is important for us to be as conscientious as possible of our choice of words. The things we say, even when said with the best of intentions, can be rooted in unconscious assumptions of gender and sexual orientation.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: VIDEO - "A CHILD OF THE STATE"
When In Lemn Sissay's TED talk "A Child of the State," he describes his experiences growing up in the English foster care system in the 1960s and 70s. Sissay, the son of a single Ethiopian immigrant woman, was forced into foster care and a foster home when he was born.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: VIDEO - "POOR KIDS"
About 15 million children in the United States - 21% of all children - live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. This Frontline special - filmed in 2012 and updated in 2017 - follows the stories of three families told over the course of a half a decade and explores what poverty means.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: NAVIGATING DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION CONVERSATIONS
In the GuideStar article Navigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conversations, the author discusses why diversity, equity and inclusion matters; and steps people and organizations can take to have productive discussions. To fight our biases and blind spots, we need to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: GUIDE FOR LGBTQ+ STUDENTS
In everything we do, CASA is committed to protecting the best interests of all children - and the reality is that disproportionality high number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) children and youth are in the child welfare system, many having been abandoned by their families due to their LGBTQ identity.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: ADVOCATING FOR NATIVE CHILDREN
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the purpose of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is "...to protect the best interest of Indian Children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children and placement of such children in homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture..." (25 U.S. C. 1902). ICWA provides guidance to states regarding the handling of child abuse and neglect and adoption cases involving Native children and sets minimum standards for the handling of these cases.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: TRANSRACIAL ADOPTIONS
Transracial adoption refers to placing a child who is of one race or ethnic group with adoptive parents of another race or ethnic group. Prior to facilitating a transracial adoption, professionals should work with the potential adoptive family to assess their capacity and commitment to honor and incorporate the child/youth’s race/ethnicity/culture within their existing family system, relationships, and community.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: PARENTING IN RACIALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE ADOPTIVE FAMILIES
In the past, the prevailing advice for parents who adopted children of a race or culture different from theirs was to love and raise them from a “colorblind” perspective, as if the races and cultures of the children were not an important part of their identities. But adults who were raised with this approach and other experts say that when parents ignore their child’s racial and cultural origins, the journey to a healthy identity can be lonely, confusing, and even traumatic. Understanding and acknowledging differences in race and culture and playing an active role in creating a home and family life that reflect a child’s heritage are critical steps in parenting in diverse adoptive families.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in 1978 in response to a crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and tribes. Studies revealed that large numbers of Native children were being separated from their parents, extended families, and communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies.