Strategies to Reduce Racially Disparate Outcomes in Child Welfare

Abstract

This report documents the efforts underway in 12 states and localities to tackle the enduring problem of African American, Native American, and Latino families faring worse than others being served by the child welfare systems. The publication, produced by Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) as part of the work of the Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare, updates a similar 'national scan' produced nearly a decade ago covering the promising practices to address racial disproportionality in child welfare. In many states and localities across the country, there are proportionately more children of color who are referred to child- and family-serving institutions; they have longer stays in foster care, and are more likely to be placed in congregate care placements. Moreover, youth of color typically face even more challenges as they age out of child welfare systems. All of this work is done within the context of federal, state, and local efforts to improve outcomes for all children and families involved with child welfare systems. However, as attention to the disparate outcomes achieved for African American, Native American, and in some places Latino children and youth has grown, state and county systems have turned to innovative uses of legislative mandates and data analysis to spark more work to more fully understand and eliminate disparities, drive decision-making and system improvements, and to pinpoint exactly where the problems are occurring. In addition, states are deepening their training, workforce development, and capacity-building activities so that frontline workers possess a greater understanding of these issues. States are also taking on new partners--from schools to judges to pastors--to hasten the pace of eliminating disparities. Engagement with tribal governments has improved as have community-engagement efforts to bridge gaps in understanding between families and child- and family-serving systems. The publication highlights efforts underway in Connecticut; Idaho; Illinois; Iowa; Kentucky; Michigan; Minnesota state and Ramsey County in Minnesota; New York; Oregon; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Texas; and Utah. The following are appended: (1) Public Systems, Professionals and Other Institutions Involved in Child Welfare-Related Racial Equity Efforts; and (2) Summary Table of Features of State and Local Efforts to Reduce Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare. (ERIC)