Overrepresentation of Children of Color in The Child Welfare System

1
Overrepresentation of Children of Color in The
Child Welfare System

• Judy A. Hartsfield
• Presiding Judge
• Family Court-Juvenile Division
• Detroit, MI

2
Overview

• Define Problem
• Importance of Problem
• Recommendations for Change

3
Define the Problem What We Know

• Overrepresentation refers to both
• racial disproportionality and
• racial disparity.

4
Definition

• Racial Disproportionality a situation when the
  percentage of children of color in the child
  welfare system does not reflect their share of
  the total population.

5
Definition

• Racial Disparity are defined as a situation when
  the rate of disproportionality of one
  racial/ethnic group exceeds that of a comparison
  group.

6
Why is This Important?

• African American and other ethnic children are
  more likely to be under State supervision, and
  once there, they generally fare worse than other
  children.

7
Why is This Important?

• Although there is no evidence that they are
  abused or neglected more than other children,
  children of color are more likely to be pulled
  into Michigans child protection system, and to
  be placed in out-of-home care.

8
Why is This Important?

• Overrepresentation in the protective services
  system helps feed disparities in the juvenile
  justice system.
• Pronounced disparities in the states child
  welfare system have repercussionsboth human and
  fiscalthroughout the state and nation and must
  be addressed.
• Aging out of foster care

9
Why is This Important?

• Children in Foster Care in Michigan by Race
  (2003)
• Total Children Foster Care
• Number Percent Number Percent
• White 1,832,802 72.1 7,444 38.8
• Afr. Amer 445,734 17.5
  10,223 53.2
• Am Ind/Alskn Nat. 14,770 0.6 194
  1.0
• Asian 54,094 2.1 78 0.4
• Multi-Racial 64,623 2.5 547
  2.8
• Hispanic 130,836 5.1 680 3.5
• Other 625 0.0 39 0.2
• 2,543,484 100.0 19,205 100.0
• (Source Childrens Services Management Info
  System, CY093, and Kids Count analysis of 2003
  Census population estimates.)

10
Why is This Important?

• Children of color
• are more likely to be removed from their homes
• are less likely to be reunited with their
  parents
• are more likely to be in multiple out-of-home
  placements
• spend more time in care and
• are more likely to be adjudicated in the juvenile
  justice system,
• be placed in a residential treatment facility, or
  be waived to adult courts.

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How Can We Move Toward Equity?

• 1. Before we can fix overrepresentation in the
  states child welfare systems, we must be willing
  to acknowledge it openly, and make a commitment
  to change.
• 2. Build on what we already know

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How Can We Move Toward Equity?

• 3. Target limited resources
• 4. Better access to culturally proficient,
  community-based supports and services.
• 5. Increase training on culturally proficient
  policies and practices.

13
How Can We Move Toward Equity?

• 6. Strengthen placement options, with a focus on
  relative caregivers.
• 7. Families and youths must be included in all
  decision-making.

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Recommendations for change

• 1 Prioritize Funding
• Realign priorities and examine all funding
  sources
• 2 Maximize Title IV-E Administrative Funding

15
Recommendations for Change

• 3 Apply for IV-E Waiver
• Possible services which may be part of a federal
  waiver request include, but are not limited to
• Assisted guardianship
• Kinship care
• Intensive service options such as Families First
  and family reunification
• Flexible funding individualized to family needs
• Services for caregivers with substance use
  affecting child safety
• Support for families with medically fragile
  children

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Recommendations for Change

• 4 Review Policies, Programs, and Procedures
• Engage with an external consultant to conduct a
  comprehensive review of child welfare policies,
  procedures, programs and contracts to determine
  whether they disadvantage children and families
  of color.
• 5 Actively Engage Families As Partners.

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Recommendations for Change

• 6 Integrate Services
• General Services/Protective service workers
• GS workers funded through TANF should be
  integrated in child welfare system
• Indistinct blurring of poverty and physical
  neglect
• Policy Changes Needed

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Recommendations for Change

• 7 Build Community Support
• 8 Require Culturally Proficient Practices
• 9 Require Data Collection, Monitoring, and
  Reporting

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Recommendations for Change

• 10 Support Vulnerable Families
• Teen fathers and mothers
• Relative caregivers, especially grandparents
• Fictive kin and informal caregivers
• Parents of children with emotional and/or
  medical needs
• Physically, mentally and developmentally
  challenged parents
• Foster children who become parents while still
  in care
• Drug affected parents

20
Thank You!

• Judy A. Hartsfield
• Presiding Judge
• Family Court-Juvenile Division
• Detroit, MI