Keeping young people in care connected
29 September 2025
Carers from culturally or linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds are being sought to help children and young people in care retain their connections to heritage, religion, community and culture.
At AnglicareSA, there are 16 CALD households who either are, or have, provided care to 30 young people from similar cultures in the past 12 months – this includes emergency, short-term, and long-term care.
A further nine families are undergoing assessment and training, while another support team member with specific cultural knowledge and language skills has been recruited by the Foster Care Services. The team now boasts five staff with different languages and cultural knowledge to support the growing cohort.
One of those new CALD carers is Masooma who came to Adelaide as a refugee with her son and daughter in 2016. Several months ago, she became the carer of a young girl.
Masooma said being able to share their religion was a key part of her role as a foster carer.
“It’s very important for every child to identify their culture and be connected,” Masooma said.
“There are the two important aspects of connection to religion and also connection to culture, so a child knows where they come from.
“And as soon as our little girl came to our house, we became a happier, active household.
“It has been a very positive experience, and I have felt supported along the way by AnglicareSA and the Department for Child Protection.
“There have been language supports, cultural supports, and people not of my culture listening and getting to know me.”
Perfect place to call home
Multicultural Adelaide, she said, was the perfect place to move to and raise her young children.
“When we got accepted into Australia, they asked me where I would like to go, and I just said the suburb that has the most Afghan people in it.
“They provided me with a home in Prospect, which was almost like a home or homeland for me because there were many Afghan people and the shopping, the culture, everything was very familiar to me.”
Now living in Parafield Gardens, Masooma is actively promoting becoming a foster carer within her local community.
“I have already given out the contact number of my support worker Zahra to everyone in the community so they can reach out to her and see how supportive AnglicareSA is, how supportive everyone is, and now more people are applying to become foster carers.
“Australia was very kind to me, and I just wanted to do something for Australia as a member of the community.
“I really wanted to do something for children in Australia to return that kindness.”
Growing need for carers
Department for Child Protection Multicultural Services Manager Nagita Kaggwa said there was a consistent need for carers who identify as being South Sudanese, Congolese, Afghan, Syrian, Iranian, and Iraqi. South Australians from Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, India, and Pakistan are also being called upon to become carers.
This is to ‘match’, wherever possible, the cultural background, language and faith of children and young people who can no longer safely live with their parents.
“The carers we need, the ideal cultural backgrounds, it’s basically in line with skilled and humanitarian migration trends in South Australia,” Ms Kaggwa said.
“Sometimes, these children and young people might be from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds, speak English as a second language, or follow a different faith. They are more likely to thrive when they stay connected to their background and communities.”
The Multicultural Services team is affiliated with about 150 community groups and leaders throughout South Australia.
“We’re working hard to grow our community engagement and not only to encourage people to consider becoming a carer but helping to educate communities about what child protection in Australia is,” Nagita says.
The team recently participated in an event at a Sikh temple and the Islamic Eid Festival.
Opening hearts and homes
Minister for Child Protection Katrine Hildyard thanked the state’s dedicated CALD carers, like Masooma, and encouraged others to consider taking up the important role.
“We know how vital it is that young people remain connected to their religion, culture and community,” she said.
“I’m so thankful that carers like Masooma open their hearts and homes to children and young people from a similar background and encourage others to follow suit,” she said.
“I’m also grateful to DCP’s Multicultural Services team, who play a crucial role in helping with the placement matching process and guide practitioners on the cultural considerations that need to happen when placing a child with a kinship or foster carer.”
South Australians from a CALD background who would like to find out more about becoming a carer are encouraged to contact DCP’s Multicultural Services team on 8245 7417. More information about AnglicareSA’s Foster Care Services can be found online at here or by calling 8131 3456.