Raising Cultures: Breaking down racial barriers in foster care and adoption with Keia Jones-Baldwin

I had the privilege of sitting down with Keia Jones Baldwin from Raising Cultures. She offers a safe space for foster and adoptive families to discuss race along with any other traditional parenting issues.

Take Aways:

1. Start having tough conversations. Find a space where you can ask what you need to ask about tough issues like racism so we can work toward being a more understanding and unified community.
2. Be Proud of who you are. It's not about all being the same, it's about honoring everyone's individuality and identity. People should be able to promote their heritage and ethnicity without people being offended. Stop taking someone else's self love as a personal attack on you. Just because someone promotes their identity doesn’t take anything away from your identity.
3. Representation Matters. If you foster or adopt a child from a different race be prepared to make sure your kids see themselves in the world around them. Switch up your routine, child care, church family to better represent the family you now have.
4. Love comes first. If you accept a child of a different race in your home, focus on loving them and building an attachment first! Take some time to have them acclimate to your family. Then be prepared to handle the racial issues that come up.

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