The case in summary: • Farhad Zaman Kiani is one of the few foster children who have lived in a foster home with the same cultural and linguistic background. • Children with an immigrant background are overrepresented among the 7,500 children who live in foster homes in Norway, but there are few families with an immigrant background who offer to take in an extra child. • Adviser at the foster home service in Bufdir, Saman Dehesi, believes that prejudice against child protection can be an important reason why multicultural families do not become foster homes. • The Khan family, themselves immigrants from Pakistan, have been Farhad’s foster parents for 10 years. In addition, we were an emergency home for 17 other children. • Farhad has had a good time in his foster home and does not ignore the fact that he himself may become a foster father in the future. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I was very surprised when they found a Pakistani home for me. All my brothers were in Norwegian foster homes, says Farhad Zaman Kiani (20). He stands side by side with his foster mother and cuts vegetables for today’s dinner. Although he is strictly an adult, he still lives with his foster parents, Ashee and Zawar Khan. He is happy and grateful that he came here. There is a lot of laughter in the Khan family house. Photo: news / Caroline Bækkelund Hauge Ashee sends her foster son a loving look. – I am so happy that Farhad came to us. I have always been proud. – Are you sure, always? Farhad looks teasingly at the foster mother. – Yes, always! Farhad was only 10 years old when he came to the foster home on Ål. He got a sister with him. Hareem said yes, when her parents asked if she was willing to share them with a little boy. – There was poor follow-up and such things at home. It probably wouldn’t have gone so well with me if I had stayed there. Searching intensively Today there are 7,500 foster children in Norway. In relation to the population composition otherwise, children with an immigrant background are overrepresented. There are still far too few families who want to accept, and provide care for, an extra. The need for foster families with an immigrant background is particularly great. Children in foster homes 350 children are waiting in foster homes in Norway right now. About 30 per cent of the inquiries Bufetat receives from the municipalities concern foster homes for children with a minority background. 7,413 children lived in foster care in 2023. Source: Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Bureau of Statistics. Advisor in the foster home service in the Norwegian Bureau of Statistics, Saman Dehesi, works with this every single day. – Many of the children have a desire to come to foster homes with the same background as themselves. The same applies to their parents. Adviser in the foster home service in Bufetat, region east, Saman Dehesi. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news According to the regulations on foster homes, the child welfare service must, in all cases, take into account what kind of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious background the child has. Dehesi says that when the foster home service fails to offer its own foster homes, it means that the child has to wait a very long time. – What kind of advantages do children who come to a foster home with the same background have? – It allows the children to know each other. Know your mother tongue, know your food, know your culture. Something that I think is incredibly important. It provides security and makes it easier for the child to bond with the foster parents. Would like to extend a hand The Khan family came as refugees from Pakistan in 2002. They themselves have experienced how difficult it can be to leave close family, but also know the challenges of raising children in a new and foreign culture. After several years of working in schools and after-school care, both felt that they both wanted to, and were able to, help children who needed care. The family remembers well when Farhad came to them 10 years ago. They often talk about that. Photo: news / Caroline Bækkelund Hauge – We felt it primarily in our hearts, explains Zawar. But first there were some practical things that had to be settled. – Do I have capacity? Do I have room in the house? Do I have room in the car? And then they had to ask their daughter. Hareem, who was an only child, gave the green light. Then the process of approval and training of the foster parents began, and in 2014 she became Farhad’s older sister. Here in the house, they love spicy pizza, preferably with Pakistani spices. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news – I love him just like a weasel brother. We’ve had quite a few fights, but it’s sibling love. I can share everything with Farhad, says Hareem Khan (22). Skeptical of child protection The Khan family has also been an emergency shelter for many years. 17 children have visited for shorter periods in the last 10 years. Recently, another foster son (9) has enriched the family. Foster father Zawar recommends families who can lend a hand to open their home. But he believes many people with an immigrant background refuse to become foster parents because they are afraid of the system. Farhad often seeks good advice from foster father Zawar. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news – They think that the child protection service takes children away from their parents. They do not understand that they are there to help and look after. If you want to become a foster home, you must have childcare in your home. There are both case managers, supervisors and various others. Maybe people are a little afraid of it, he wonders. Saman Dehesi in Bufetat agrees. Furthermore, he does not think immigrants know well enough how the welfare system in Norway works. This also applies to the child protection service. – That makes it difficult to recruit them to foster homes. And I need many families with a multicultural background. Strong ties For the Khan family, the foster zone means a lot. – He is part of the family. He is our heart, says Zawar and reaches for his chest. Ashee laughs when she thinks of an episode from the first days he was in the house on Ål. – I was standing here in the kitchen cooking. And then you said: Why is there so much food here? Farhad believes that the Pakistani food in the foster home helped him settle in more quickly. – There is a commonality in that we come from the same town, a food that I grew up with and of course that they speak Urdu. If I hadn’t lived here, I might have lost that language. The foster parents, for their part, have seen how Farhad has developed in the 10 years he has lived with them. – It gives me a good feeling. I really feel that I have done something. So maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to move away from home, even though he’s now 20, chuckles the foster father. Farhad Zaman Kiani himself is content with life. He thrives in his job as an apprentice in healthcare work and is happy that his dream of his own car and the note is about to become a reality. He does not ignore the fact that one day in the future he himself will become a foster father. – Why not? If you want children, why not help those who may not be doing so well? Do you have something on your mind after reading the article? We work with constructive journalism, which can give hope and point to solutions. Happy to hear from you. Here are several stories: Published 11.12.2024, at 17.43
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Need for foster homes with an immigrant background. Farhad had foster parents from Pakistan. – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
