Abstract
Black children currently make up 23% of the out-of-home care population, which is disproportionate to the number of Black children in the U.S. population (14%). However, this disparity is not limited to just out-of-home placements, research indicates that disparate outcomes exist for Black children and their families and that the disproportionality can be seen throughout the child welfare system including entries into the system, re-unification, and adoption. There are several explanatory factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of Black children within the child welfare system. Many of these explanatory factors have roots in the historical racism that has plagued Black children and families, including policies that have intentionally and unintentionally oppressed the Black community. This has led to disparate needs among Black families and increased visibility of these families to reactive social service agencies, which has led to a misperception that Black children experience more maltreatment than White children. Increasing equity among Black children and families within the child welfare system is critical and has led to several tools and strategies including early intervention with families at risk, revising mandated reporting laws, using tools/models that minimize subjectivity, and blind decision-making processes. Sustained progress on issues of racial disproportionality and inequity must include a multifaceted, anti-racist approach including addressing these issues at the legislative, organizational and research level.
This chapter is from the book Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in the Child Welfare System