Child welfare advocates flag need for more Black hair care and education

Child welfare advocates are stressing the need for more education about Black hair care and more access to the necessary products.

That advocacy comes as the province’s children’s aid societies struggle to find foster parents from diverse cultural backgrounds — an ongoing problem that’s had an impact on Black children who are overrepresented in the system.

At Toronto’s Catholic Children Aid Society (CCAS), where Black children make up about 40 per cent of foster kids, efforts are made to match kids to culturally appropriate environments so that they can grow up closer to their roots, says Roger Dilworth, director of children and youth care.

“Black hair care is very important for young people because it is tied to their self-cultural identity, self-esteem and even a sense of belonging to the Black community, and that is important,” Dilworth told CBC Toronto.

However, he says, many Black children end up in the care of white families who may live far away from the GTA in rural areas due to a shortage of Black foster parents.

“They may not have access to products for Black hair care,” Dilworth said. “It becomes a need for a young person.”

Suzanne Curry, a former foster mother, says she had similar concerns when making the move from Grenada to Ontario with her adopted daughter Hope. Hope was born and lived her first seven years on the island, Curry said.

“My biggest concern, especially in the Blue Mountain area, was who was going to help me with my daughter’s hair?”

Pamphlet reading Children's Aid Society in Crisis — Children’s Aid Society workers say they are struggling to meet the demands of diverse families. (Joe Tunney/CBC)

Still, Curry says her experience was unique — and she had more experience than most white foster parents in working with Black hair. She lived in the Caribbean for 20 years and credits much of what she has learned so far about Black hair to the women who worked at the daycare she owned there.

“It can be very challenging as a white person because we’re not born and raised working with Black hair,” she said.

“Once you understand that Black hair — it’s not just hair — it carries history and culture and pride, then you just learn to have patience and care.”

Non-profit aims to fill gaps

One organization working to give foster families education, tools and products is Natural Kids Movement, a non-profit created by Takiyah Wedderburn, who worked with a lot of non-Black families caring for Black children.

“There was a lot of anxiety and stress around styling the child’s hair on a daily or weekly basis,” Wedderburn said, adding that the cost of Black hair products is more expensive and sometimes a strain on family budgets.

In some instances, she says families have resorted to cutting off their foster child’s hair — which can be traumatizing.

By providing workshops and care baskets for families and kids, Wedderburn says youth can gain the confidence necessary to thrive once they leave the foster system. She says those children are already dealing with different challenges that make them vulnerable to negative outcomes.

“We wanted to set them up for success, to ensure that they’re not being pipelined into the criminal justice system, to make sure that they have the best access to education and housing security,” Wedderburn said.

“This is a big issue that affects all of us.”

A group of people do a Black hair care workshop. — Takiyah Wedderburn says she started Natural Kids Movement to educate and empower foster parents of Black children and child welfare staff. (Submitted by Takiyah Wedderburn)

Overrepresentation of Black kids in foster care

The overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario’s foster care system is a result of anti-Black racism, according to a 2022 report by the University of Toronto and the One Vision, One Voice (OVOV) program.

The study found that Black children, from newborns to 15 years old, make up seven per cent of the population but almost 14 per cent of child welfare investigations. Compared to families with white children, families with Black children are 2.2 times as likely to be investigated, the study says.

There were almost 8,200 children and youth in care during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, according to the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies .However, some agencies say a shortage of foster families has led them to house children and teens in Airbnbs and hotels.

Community engagement specialist Karen Saunders with the One Vision, One Voice, says there’s an urgent need for more culturally diverse foster families. (Submitted by Karen Saunders)

“There is a foster care crisis all over Ontario right now,” said Karen Saunders, a community engagement specialist with OVOV.

“We’re looking for Black families for our Black youth, but there’s that lack of trust with the system. The system hasn’t been good to Black families, so why do they want to work for the system?”

Children’s aid societies regularly create recruitment campaigns for more foster parents, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said in an emailed statement.

“The ministry is actively working with and listening to societies to enhance recruitment and retention efforts,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Saunders says one of the goals for her and her organization is to continue to educate and advocate for families, including making sure they have the funds necessary to buy the right hair supplies because it directly impacts children’s well-being.

“We know that as Black folks, we swim in a water full of whiteness. Everything is measured by whiteness,” she said.

“Those kids need to learn about Black joy.”

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.