They Took My Child Too. A Roundtable Discussion at Scottish Parliament by Passion4Fusion

On the 6th of May, we held our roundtable talk at the Scottish Parliament to launch our report, They Took My Child Too. The stories shared helped build a clearer picture of the current issues at hand. The acknowledgement of lived experience drives real progress in this field. We hope this moment does not remain a singular event, but rather a step toward a wider goal: equal treatment for all families, regardless of race or culture.

As demonstrated by our research and ongoing work, this is unfortunately not yet the reality. Through our report, toolkit, campaigning, and focus groups, we are collectively applying pressure on those in positions of power to drive meaningful change.

We aim to remain visible in spaces that highlight the importance of cultural safety. This event was a powerful example of what our community can achieve when we raise our voices and this is only the beginning. The work does not stop here, but this was a huge leap in the right direction.gh.

The foster system is designed to provide children with stability, safety, and nurturing. However, when Black and Brown children are placed with families who do not share their cultural background or appearance, it can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. In some cases, this can result in children attempting to change aspects of their identity in an effort to resemble their caregivers and gain a sense of belonging. The lack of diversity and cultural safety within the Scottish social care system continues to create environments where children from ethnically diverse backgrounds may feel unseen, unheard, and unaccepted

Thank you to all the team, Michelle Thompson and all our community who attended this event

Seeing various members of the community band together at our roundtable talk to support our work and share their experiences was extremely touching. It made the months and months of hard work feel recognised and appreciated. Conversations we’ve been having for years were now echoed through the Parliament walls. It is one thing to read about lived experiences or hear them through the grapevine, but discussing them face to face and watching them played out as shown in our mini documentary that was displayed adds a much-needed element of reality. It’s a reminder that racism within Scottish social care and wider local authorities isn’t just rumours and speculation. It has extremely turbulent effects that dismantle family structure across the diaspora.

It is our goal to ensure that our report and toolkit don’t just collect dust on a shelf. We want them to implement change, give a voice to the silenced, and apply pressure on those who need to take accountability. These conversations may be difficult and at times nerve-wracking, but they are needed. Real change happens in the midst of discomfort.

If you haven’t downloaded our report and are not using our toolkit, here is your chancehttps://lnkd.in/eBr8YBWg