What is FRIENDS role in cultural competence issues?
Cultural issues vary from family to family, program to program, community to community, and state to state. The FRIENDS National Resource Center for CBCAP helps states become more culturally competent in their work with children and families by identifying and creating tools that will foster an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations. For more information on how to access FRIENDS technical assistance on this issue, CBCAP State Leads can contact your T/TA coordinator. What is the definition of Culture and Cultural Competence? Culture is a constantly changing, learning pattern of customs, beliefs, values, and behaviors, which are socially acquired and transmitted through symbols, rituals, and events and which convey widely shared meanings among its members. Culture includes gender, age, sexual orientation, geographic location, ethnicity, values, personality, ability status, marital status, and job position (CWLA, n.d.). Cultural Competence is defined as the abil
