A research brief from Child Trends explores how the racial and ethnic identities of adolescents and young adults may shift over time. Foster Care and the Development of Racial and Ethnic Identity delves into the experiences of young people in foster care whose racial and ethnic identities changed at some point in time. It also presents research on racial and ethnic identity development and factors that influence identity development.
The brief begins by acknowledging that adolescent years are formative for a young person’s identity development. Several factors can influence one’s racial and cultural identity, including racial socialization—the process of receiving and internalizing messages about racial identity and heritage. Youth in foster care may have unique or complicated experiences developing their racial and ethnic identity because of their child welfare system involvement. They may live in foster or adoptive homes with caregivers of different races and ethnicities, they may be unaware of their heritage or learn about it at an older age, and they may not spend time with those who share their racial and ethnic background.