The emergence of a new policy: ‘Racial matching’ in fostering and adoption

Abstract

Abstract This article charts the emergence of the policy of ‘racial matching’ in foster and adoption placements through the three stages identified by William Solesbury: first, an issue must command attention, second, claim legitimacy and, third, invoke action (1976: 379–397). The campaign was spearheaded by a small group of black social workers but gained momentum with the establishment of the Association of Black Social Workers and Allied Professions. The dilemma for those advocating change was that, in order to gain general acceptance for their ideas, they had to employ different strategies to appeal to different audiences. Campaigners managed to command the attention of both social workers and the population at large but, although they were successful in claiming legitimacy among many black people, they were less so among the white population where their ideas were introduced into a climate of ideological hostility and presented a challenge to professional social work norms. As a consequence, the impl...