The Geary Seminar Series – 18th February 2025

On 18th February we welcomed Dr Tam Cane, Department of Social Care and Social Work, University of Sussex. Prof Cane was a guest of Prof Prospera Tedam and visited Geary as part of the Geary BICS Funding Scheme. Title: Applying the AFDiT Framework to Transracial and Transcultural Fostering in the Republic of Ireland Abstract: Our UK study focused on insights from transracially adopted adults, birth parents, adoptive parents, and social workers, highlighting that inadequate racial, ethnic, and cultural socialisation often leads to confusion, identity-based imposterism, and race-related trauma. Drawing on reflections from interviews and co-creation workshops, the Anti-racist Framework for Decision-Making and Transitioning Children into Transracial Adoptive Families (AFDiT) was developed to support social workers and adoptive parents in addressing children’s needs through a lens of racial and cultural consciousness, as well as intentionality. This seminar will focus on the AFDiT Wheel as a tool for gathering identity-related information from birth parents and understanding the child’s needs. With an emphasis on fostering and care provision for transracially and transculturally placed children in the Republic of Ireland, the seminar will explore the importance of identity facets and cultural preservation. A short workshop will also be included, concentrating on AFDiT’s practice models and decision-making tools, which are essential for assessments and matching in transcultural placements.