For many, spending time in foster care is not an easy experience.
And for those from diverse communities and multi-faith backgrounds, it can be one that leaves them feeling disconnected from their cultural heritage.
Reggie Chang, 28, is of south-east Asian descent and spent time in foster care as a teenager.
At 18, they ended up homeless and spent time with several different families over a two-year period, and at times felt a little distant from their Cambodian and Chinese heritage.
They said living with a Malaysian family who embraced meal times offered a sense of comfort, and they could identify cultural similarities.
"You know I think there are a lot of young people out there who enter foster care and don't have a similar culture to their own," they said.
"When I was a young person, having an Asian family who were similar to my own culture it made the transition from living at home to moving into foster care very easy."
Reggie Chang. Source: Supplied
Foster care gives children a home when they are unable to remain with their birth family or when other relatives cannot step in to offer support.
But there is a significant need for more culturally and linguistically diverse foster carers to fill a gap in the system.
'When it comes to caring for children, culture plays a role'
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said in June 2020, almost 46,000 children were in out of home care and in Victoria, the demand for carers outweighs supply.
Prospective carers are referred to agencies, like the community organisation Settlement Services International.
It helps foster parents in Sydney and NSW's Hunter and Central Coast regions, as well as northern parts of Melbourne.
Reza Tasviri and Modjeh Abedi, who have twins of their own, became accredited foster carers through Settlement Services International.
"Because of the cultural learnings, that all has equipped us to be in a place where we can put ourselves in a situation to be completely aware," Mr Tasviri said
"In any matter of life when it comes to caring for children, culture does play a role, it's not something we can rule it out. We need to be aware of it."
Mr Tasviri said it’s important to be aware of culturally diverse practices and heritage and draw on these so the child feels more at home when in care.
The Iranian-born couple have been in Australia for 15 years and will soon welcome a foster child into their home.
They were initially unsure about whether they were suitable to be foster carers, and Ms Abedi is encouraging anyone who is hesitant to ask questions.
"Now we know that like the society and the community, the fostering family needs to be from different backgrounds, different beliefs, different faiths," Ms Abedi said.
Maintaining 'tradition and culture' leads to 'better outcomes'
Deb Tsorbaris is the chief executive of the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.
Ms Tsorbaris said if children enter foster care, it is important to maintain the "tradition and culture" they have become familiar with during their life with their biological families because consistent living arrangements lead to better outcomes.
"It's always delightful to hear kids talk about the food they eat and the family traditions they have, and when they are able to continue those they are safer and we definitely get better outcomes for them," she said.
Some barriers to recruiting more foster carers include queries about visa status, but emergency or respite care are still options for carers to consider, she said.
Sometimes foster care is temporary, but for others like Reggie Chang, some children do not return to their biological families.
"When I was younger there was not a service to help you stay in foster care past the age of 18," they said.
"So I ended up homeless and ... visiting different youth refuges before I found stable accommodation through a community housing organisation."
In Victoria, Fostering Connections is a service that promotes the need for carers to open up their homes to young people.
This joint initiative with support from the Victorian government hopes to ensure that foster carers reflect the diverse population.
Prospective carers need to undergo training and relevant checks as part of the accreditation process.
And foster carers looking after First Nations children receive extra support to enhance their knowledge of Aboriginal culture and to help the children understand their identity.
