Teacher Rashidah Butt today told how her work as a part-time foster parent for mixed race children helps them to understand their dual heritage.

Social workers are desperate to recruit other people willing to take on the job in a bid to prevent families in crisis being torn apart and children being taken into care.

Miss Butt, from Bradford, is one of a group of support carers who act as part-time foster parents to young people from the district. There are around 30 young people on the waiting list for help at the moment and social workers are keen to attract more people to volunteer for the role.

Miss Butt does specialised work with youngsters of mixed race parentage, but there is a need for all kinds of volunteers who can help relieve the strain on families in crisis.

This can mean looking after a young person for a weekend to give their mum a break or offering day-care to teenagers who have been excluded from school.

Miss Butt said: "I introduce the children to members of my own extended family. I have nephews and nieces who are mixed race and if they see them and see that they aren't disadvantaged, it sends a message.

"They come here and are surprised because I don't cook curries, I don't wear Asian clothes and I don't speak another language. Straight away, those barriers are broken down."

Miss Butt's work is of a specific nature but other support carers offer other kinds of help.

Pat Robinson takes teenage boys on a day care basis to relieve the pressure on their parents.

"You need a sense of humour, but I often have a right laugh with the lads," she said. "I've had a few success stories including one lad who now goes to school one day a week and goes to college two days. He comes to me the other two days."

Joy Howard, social worker with Bradford's adoption and fostering unit, said: "Children who end up going into care do not often have a positive experience. By offering a helping hand, part-time foster carers can avoid some of that hurt and damage and the young person can stay at home. People like Rashidah do identity work but other people are simply doing some part-time foster work because they work full time. We have a waiting list of 30 young people so we always need more help."

For more information, contact Joy Howard on (01274) 754365. Part time foster carers receive a fee.

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