Adoption and Foster Care: Analysis, Reflections and Best Practice On Equality And Social Justice At School And In The Educational System

Adoption and foster care provide children with a nurturing family environment and a positive context in which they can recover from early disadvantages. However, much of the existing research highlights the potential vulnerability of these children, particularly in terms of learning outcomes and academic achievement (Sempowicz et al., 2018; Anderman et al., 2021). Furthermore, the literature underscores that the frequent experiences of discrimination and microaggressions faced by children in foster care and adoption can lead to marginalization (Migliarini et al., 2019), academic failures (Ferritti et al., 2020a, 2021), and social exclusion (Morgan and Langrehr, 2019). To address these challenges, researchers should place greater emphasis on exploring the protective factors within the family and social context, as well as the resources that need to be mobilized to enhance both academic and social skills (Goldberg et al., 2021), thereby supporting positive growth trajectories. Discussions of equality and social justice in the educational system for children with histories of adoption and foster care must consider the political, educational, and cultural measures needed to ensure equal opportunities and combat educational inequality and stigma. In this regard, there remain numerous questions that interdisciplinary studies must address in order to explore opportunities and strategies for promoting resilience, as well as fostering both school and social inclusion for children in adoption or foster care.