Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in the Child Welfare System

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Understanding and Identifying Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction to Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare

      • Alan J. Dettlaff

      Pages 3-7

   3. The Evolving Understanding of Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

      • Alan J. Dettlaff

      Pages 9-23

   4. Measurement Issues in Identifying and Describing Racial Disproportionality and Disparity

      • Nancy Rolock, Qiana Cryer-Coupet, Colleen Janczewski

      Pages 25-44

   5. Racial Disproportionality and Disparities Among African American Children in the Child Welfare System

      • Jessica Pryce, Anna Yelick

      Pages 45-68

   6. Racial Disproportionality and Disparities Among Latinx Children

      • Michelle Johnson-Motoyama, Rebecca Phillips, Oliver Beer

      Pages 69-98

   7. Racial Disproportionality and Disparities Among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations

      • Terry L. Cross

      Pages 99-124

   8. Underrepresented Populations in the Child Welfare System: Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Populations

      • Rowena Fong, Georgina Petronella

      Pages 125-138

3. Explaining Disproportionality and Disparities

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 139-139

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   2. Racial Bias as an Explanatory Factor for Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare

      • Marian S. Harris

      Pages 141-158

   3. Disproportionate Need as a Factor Explaining Racial Disproportionality in the CW System

      • Brett Drake, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Hyunil Kim, Chien-Jen Chiang, Daji Davalishvili

      Pages 159-176

   4. Child Welfare System Issues as Explanatory Factors for Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

      • Michele D. Hanna

      Pages 177-197

   5. How Place Matters in Child Maltreatment Disparities: Geographical Context as an Explanatory Factor for Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

      • Kathryn Maguire-Jack, Jill E. Korbin, Adam Perzynski, Claudia Coulton, Sarah A. Font, James C. Spilsbury

      Pages 199-212

4. Consequences of Disproportionality and Disparities

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 213-213

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   2. Individual Consequences of Racial Disproportionality and Disparities

      • Reiko Boyd

      Pages 215-233

   3. The Community Impact of Racial Disproportionality: The Racial Geography of Child Welfare

      • Dorothy Roberts

      Pages 235-251

5. Preventing and Reducing Disproportionality and Disparities

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 253-253

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   2. Preventive Intervention: A Key Strategy for Addressing Child Welfare Disparities and Disproportionality for African American Families

      • Brenda Jones Harden, Laura Jimenez Parra, Melissa Duchene-Kelly

      Pages 255-284

   3. Workforce Development Strategies to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare Systems

      • Anita P. Barbee, Becky F. Antle

      Pages 285-308

This volume examines existing research documenting racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare systems, the underlying factors that contribute to these phenomena and the harms that result at both the individual and community levels. It reviews multiple forms of interventions designed to prevent and reduce disproportionality, particularly in states and jurisdictions that have seen meaningful change. With contributions from authorities and leaders in the field, this volume serves as the authoritative volume on the complex issue of child maltreatment and child welfare.  It offers a central source of information for students and practitioners who are seeking understanding on how structural and institutional racism can be addressed in public systems.

• Child Abuse and Neglect
• Child Welfare
• Child Well-Being
• Creating Comprehensive System Reform
• Disproportionality and Disparities
• Measuring Disproportionality and Disparities
• Policy, Practice, and Research
• Populations in the Child Welfare System
• Preventing Disproportionality and Disparities
• Racial Disparities
• Racial Disproportionality
• Reducing Disproportionality and Disparities
• Workforce Development Strategies

• Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, USA

  Alan J. Dettlaff

Alan J. Dettlaff is Dean of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston and the inaugural Maconda Brown O’Connor Endowed Dean’s Chair. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Dean Dettlaff served on the faculty of the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his bachelor’s degree in social work from TCU, and master’s in social work and PhD from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dean Dettlaff’s research focuses on improving outcomes for children and youth in the child welfare system by examining and addressing issues of structural and institutional racism that contribute to racial inequities in this system..

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