The Color of Child Welfare Policy: Addressing Disproportionality
Presented by Ruth G. McRoy, Ph.D.
r.mcroy@mail.utexas.edu
NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
17th Annual Statewide Adoption Training Conference
Adoption 2006: There's No Place like Home
May 12-13, 2006 • Albany New York
Overview of Presentation
Definitions and Background of Racial Disparities
National Disproportionality Data
Approaches to Disproportionality
Recommendations for Practice and Policy
Disproportionality
- A situation in which a particular racial/ethnic group of children is represented in foster care at a higher percentage than other racial/ethnic groups
- (I.e. If 5% of all White children are in care, then 5% of African American, Hispanic etc.)
Children in Care According to AFCARS Estimates for Sept. 2003
- 523,000 children in the foster care system
- White, 39%
- Black, Non-Hispanic 35%
- Hispanic, 17%
- AI/AN Non Hispanic 2%
- Asian/PI NI Non-Hispanic 1%
- Unknown 3%
- Two or more races 2%
Overrepresentation
U.S. Child Population under 18 (% in care)
- 61% White (39% in care)
- 17% Hispanic/Latino (17% in care)
- 15% African American (35% in care)
- 3% Asian American (1% in care)
- 1% American Indian/AN (2% in care)
Black Children in Foster Care
- The percentage of Black children in foster care has decreased from 44% in September of 1998 to 35% in September of 2003.
- According to AFCARS (2000) The median length of stay in foster care for Black children was 18 months; for White children it was 10 months.
Center for Study of Social Policy State by State Statistical Profile of Racial Overrepresentation in Foster Care
- States with Extreme Disproportion(16)
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Pennsylvania
- Arizona
- Montana
- Illinois
- California
- Oregon
- Wyoming
- Minnesota
- Idaho
- New Hampshire
- Wisconsin
- States with High Disproportion (15)
- Kentucky
- Texas
- Delaware
- Nevada
- Missouri
- Utah
- Vermont
- Nebraska
- West Virginia
- Kansas
- Colorado
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Ohio
- Connecticut
- States with Moderate Disproportion (15 states)
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Arkansas
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Washington
- Florida
- Virginia
- Maine
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Maryland
- Alaska
Key Decision Points
- Report/no report
- Investigation/no investigation
- Substantiation/No substantiation
- Case closed/no services/in home services/out of home care (kin,foster)
- Reunification/Adoption/Remain in care or age out
Percent of African American vs. White Children: in population, victims, entering foster care, in foster care, and waiting for adoption
| |
White
|
Af Amer
|
| % in Population |
71%
|
14%
|
Victims
|
54%
|
26%
|
| Entering Care |
46%
|
28%
|
| In Foster Care |
37%
|
38%
|
| Waiting for Adoption |
34%
|
45%
|
Source Child Maltreatment Report 2002 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm02/chapterthree.htm#race and National Foster Care and Adoption Statistics 3/03 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/tar/report8.htm
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of the Waiting Children
- 119,000 children waiting for adoption
- 40% are Black
- 37% are White
- 14% are Hispanic
- 2% are American Indian/AN
- 0% Asian or Pacific Islander
- 3% Two or more races
MAJORITY IN CARE ARE CHILDREN OF COLOR
- 55% ARE CHILDREN OF COLOR
- In some places as many as 80-97% are AA
Jeter (1963) reported that Black children were
- Remaining in foster care for longer periods of time than white children
- Adoption not being offered on equitable basis
- Ongoing discrimination in service provision
- Black children being served by public agencies and
- Private agencies serving white children
1980’s and 90’s--present - Growing Numbers of Children in Care
- 1982: 262,000 children in care (52% were Anglo)
- 1993: 429,000(38% Anglo)
- 2000: 588,000(35% Anglo)
- 2002: 532,000 (39% Anglo)
Reasons--Child Maltreatment
- Increase in maltreatment
- Increase in poverty
- Lindsey (1991) and Pelton (1989)
- Parental income is the best predictor of child removal and placement
- Majority of children in care from single parent, low-income households
Differential attributions and labeling bias
- Physicians may be more likely to attribute injury to abuse in lower income homes
Neglect
- Often product of poverty
- Parents under scrutiny/more likely to be reported
Relationship between race and child welfare outcomes
- African Americans disproportionately poor
- Disparate family preservation service delivery
- Inequities in child maltreatment reporting, service provision, kinship care, family preservation, exit rates, length of care, placement stability and adoption (Courtney 1996, Barth, 1994)
- Less likely to have plans for visitation (Olsen, 1982)
- Enter care at younger ages (Kemp & Bodonyi, 2000)
Several recent studies:
- NIS-1,NIS2,NIS3--estimates about incidence of child abuse and neglect
- Reported o differences in incidence of child abuse and neglect by racial group
- Issues raised about sample selection bias raise questions about validity/possible undercount
Courtney (1996) reported inequities from
- child maltreatment reporting
- service provision
- kinship care
- family preservation
- exit rates
- length of care
- placement stability
- adoption
- Majority of racial differences reported were between African Americans and Anglos rather than any other group
Differential Service Provision
- Lack of culturally competent child protective service workers
- Most have no training in service provision to African Americans
- Most lack training in risk assessments, child dev., parenting, etc.
Understanding Racism and Disproportionality
Addressing Disproportionality
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07/07/06