The cultural heritage plan
To integrate your child's ethnicity and culture into your family, we encourage adoptive parents to develop a cultural heritage plan to identify activities that you can do as your child grows from infancy to adolescence.
An example of activities for parents to develop their child's cultural and ethnic identity is as follows:
Infancy: 0 - 18 months
- Establish a trusting relationship with a person who is of the same cultural background as your adopted child.
- Introduce your child to people of a different cultural background from your own.
- Play various types of instrumental and vocal music that are culturally mixed.
Pre-school: 2 - 5 years
- Continue the development of relationships with adults and children of your child's ethnic and cultural background.
- Establish role models, fictional and real-life, of the same cultural background.
- Use multicultural services and community providers, such as doctors.
- Provide culturally appropriate dolls, musical instruments, puzzles and picture books.
- Develop contacts with people of diverse backgrounds from church, day care centres, pre-school or other neighbourhood associations.
School age: 6 - 9 years
- Continue the development of relationships with adults and children of your child's ethnic and cultural background.
- Introduce culturally appropriate magazines, flags, maps, history and religious books, and language tapes.
- Assess your child's potential strengths, talents and skills, and create opportunities for your child to enhance those skills.
- Establish relationships with other families who have adopted children from overseas and include your child in social activities.
Pre-adolescence: 10 - 12 years
- Continue to maintain culturally appropriate dress, music, literature and art within the home.
- Increase your involvement with social groups and networks of the same ethnic and cultural background as your child.
- Create a 'history' scrapbook with your child. Collect any newspaper articles, photos and cards that depict cultural achievements that are specific to your child's ethnic origin.
Early adolescence: 13 - 14 years
- Ensure that your child is provided with consistent roles and expectations within your family unit.
- Increase your involvement with other families with adopted children, to differentiate normal adolescent behaviour from cultural, racial and adoptive issues.
- Provide opportunities for your child to discuss cultural and ethnic identity with you.
- Encourage your child to develop their own plan for cultural and ethnic preservation in adulthood. Use this time to explore issues of dating, sexuality, marriage and children in a non-threatening environment.
Middle adolescence: 15 - 17 years
- Reintroduce and encourage the development of social networks with people of the same cultural background as your adopted child. Recognise that your child may only accept those individuals with whom they have identified themself.
- Continue to involve your child in their own plan for cultural and ethnic preservation.
- 'Claim' your child's future role in the family.
- Maintain involvement in culturally appropriate activities without your child, to demonstrate your long-term commitment to cultural preservation from the entire family.
Further information
Refer to the list of suggested reading for further information on developing a cultural heritage plan.
- Last updated
- 19 October 2007