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Family Group Conferences (FGC) have been more and more used in
Norway over the last ten years. Having its roots in a collectively
oriented family culture, the FGC method generally has been expected
to be particularly suited for non-Western immigrants. However, this
hypothesis has not been subject to scientific investigations.
Being especially intensive, multi systemic therapy (MST) targets
youth with serious behavioural problems. The method seems to
function in various cultural contexts, but there are very few studies on
its effects on ethnic minority children. Studies indicate that there may
be a positive effect from matching the ethnic background of client and
child welfare officer, but very little has been done to explain why.
Within health and social work with non-Western immigrants the
function of “broker” or “bridge-builder” is of particular relevance.
Various types of link workers, home based advisers or natural
assistants fulfil this function. Experiences from child welfare indicate
that the broker function contributes to good results, but also here there
is a lack of studies to show effects and impacts.
Out-of-home placement. Placement outside the child’s original home
consists of foster homes, orphan homes for children and youth, and
organised shared homes for young people. When placed out of home
children ought to experience continuity, according to most of the
authors writing on out-of-home placement. This applies also for
immigrant children with a non-Western background. So far, however,
no studies of foster children over time have been published on the
effects of shared (or similar) ethnic background of biological and
foster parents.
Ethnic matching is problematic for various reasons. Some groups of
immigrants are few in numbers, and very few are willing or acceptable
as foster parents. In some cases, the biological parents will be
ashamed which makes them unwilling to let foster families from their
own ethnic environment take care of the children. Kinship care,
placement of the children in the homes of relatives or acquaintances,
is generally more acceptable.
There are very few methodologically sound studies on the effects of
placement in institutions on ethnic minority children and youth. Some
authors claim that placement in institutions is particularly problematic
for immigrant youth, but there are no systematic studies to
substantiate the claim.
Measures to build competence in multi-cultural child welfare. Multicultural
competence is a recurrent theme in the literature on child
NIBR-rapport: 2007:10