The subject of identity became topical recently due to an opinion piece by Fraser McAlpine in The Guardian about the idea that some people were being deterred from adopting children because of a disliking of the children’s first names.

The piece included some rather inflammatory statements, at one stage asking adopters to “put down our tools of class warfare, throw aside snark and prejudice, and allow adopted children to be themselves”. In essence Mr McAlpine’s underlying message appeared to be about the importance of children’s identity and how it is affected by adoption and fostering. I can only guess that he is starting from a place of genuine concern for vulnerable children. The worry, for anyone interested in improving outcomes for fostered and adopted children, will be that the important message of the piece is lost due to the “snarky” tone of the article.