A significant number of black and minority ethnic parents prefer carers to be from a different cultural background to their own. This may be due to fears of family in their home country wanting to take the children back to the country of origin or finding out about their HIV status when they have not disclosed it to their family. Parents may perceive that bringing a child up in a white family will bring more benefits to the child and also think the child will assimilate more quickly into white culture.

The current practice in fostering is to place children with a carer that reflects the child's background. There should be discussion with these parents about the reasons for their preference for culturally different carers - and about the negative impact on children who lose their own cultural heritage, language, contact with their community and perhaps even family links.