Transracial matching: why ethnicity on a form is not the whole child

BFCA Tutor

Tue, 10 Nov 2026

Every placement decision starts with a referral form, and most referral forms have a box for ethnicity. It is a useful starting point, but it is only a starting point. A child described as "Black African" might speak Somali, Yoruba or French at home, pray at a mosque or a Pentecostal church, and eat food their carers have never cooked. When children are placed with carers from a different racial or cultural background, which happens every day across England, the quality of the match depends on how well the team looks beyond that box.

What the law says

The starting point is the Children Act 1989. Section 22(5)(c) says that when a local authority makes any decision about a child it looks after, it must give due consideration to "the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background". This sits alongside the duty to find out and consider the child's own wishes and feelings.

It is worth knowing that adoption is different. The Children and Families Act 2014 removed the equivalent duty for adoption agencies in England, so that a child's adoption is not delayed while agencies search for a perfect ethnic match. That change did not touch fostering. For children in care, the section 22 duty still applies to every decision, including where they live and who cares for them.

The Fostering Services National Minimum Standards 2011 add that children should receive personalised care that "promotes all aspects of their individual identity". Matching is not a one-off decision. It is the start of a plan to meet a child's identity needs for as long as they are in that home.

Why it matters now

The Department for Education's latest figures show 81,770 children looked after in England on 31 March 2025. Of these, 11% were from Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups, 8% were Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, 5% were Asian or Asian British and 4% were from other ethnic groups. The DfE notes that children from Mixed ethnic groups are over-represented in care compared with the wider child population. With a limited pool of carers, many of these children will live in transracial placements. That makes careful planning essential.

What good matching looks like day to day

• Ask about culture, not just ethnicity. Find out the child's languages, faith, food, festivals, hair and skin care, and the names they like to be called.
• Remember the differences within communities. Region, tribe, caste, colourism and migration history can matter as much as broad ethnic group.
• Plan for the gaps. If carers do not share a child's background, agree how they will build those connections, through community groups, places of worship, mentors or family time.
• Brief and support carers properly. Carers need practical guidance and space to talk about race, not just a line in the placement plan.
• Listen to the child. Review how the child feels about their identity at every visit and review, and act on what they say.

Courses that help

Our course Understanding Transracial Matching in Foster Care (£25) is written for placement managers, placement officers and supervising social workers. Across five short modules it covers what transracial matching means, differences within communities, language, faith and everyday care, migration and displacement, and how to support the placement. You learn at your own pace and receive a certificate of completion when you pass the final quiz.

It is also part of our Leadership and Accreditation bundle (£79), alongside courses on co-parenting with global majority children, handling race-related complaints and corporate parenting under the 2026 Act.

A good match is the first step in helping a child feel proud of who they are. Give your placement team the knowledge to get it right: explore Understanding Transracial Matching in Foster Care at BFCA Academy today.