Racial Disparity in Child Welfare and the Case for Universal Preschool

Introduction: Defining Disproportionality and Disparity

Disproportionality and disparity are long-standing issues in child welfare. Kirk and Griffith (2008) noted that studies focused on documenting their existence and describing their features appeared in the early 1970s, after which researchers began to look at possible sources. Were racial and ethnic minority children at greater risk, or were their disproportionate numbers the result of systematic discrimination or institutional racism?

Hill (2007) defined the disproportionality rate as derived by dividing the percentage of children of a racial or ethnic group at a specific decision-making stage in the child welfare system by the percentage of children in that same group in the census population. Disparity is defined as the differences in responses to children determined to be at risk. The disparity ratio is derived by dividing the disproportionality ratio for specific non-white groups at various stages in the decision-making process by the disproportionality rates for whites (Hill, 2007).

A study by the Casey-CSSP Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Care (Hill, 2007) furthered work already done in the area of disproportionality and disparity in child welfare services. The Alliance researchers drew a comprehensive picture of racial disproportionality and disparity through analysis of data at national, state, and county geographic levels, which they assert can be generalized to the large neighborhood level in major U.S. cities.

The 2005 census population distribution for all racial and ethnic children under age 18 revealed that non-Hispanic whites comprised 60% of all children in the U.S., non-Hispanic blacks comprised 15%, non-Hispanic American Indians comprised 1%, non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islanders comprised 4%, and Hispanics comprised 20%. Dettlaff and Rycraft (2010) cited recent national data revealing that although African-American children represent 15% of the total child population in the U.S., they account for 32% of placements in foster care.

Kirk and Griffith (2008) further cited a study by Fluke, Yuan, Hedderson, and Curtis (2003) suggesting that overreporting was responsible for a larger portion of disproportionality than the system's own contribution, "but by no means exclusively responsible."

That disproportionality and disparity exist in the delivery of child welfare services is clearly demonstrated. The purpose of this paper is to highlight these phenomena and propose one solution that could help rectify some of the problems. The establishment of universal preschool would benefit all children without regard to race or ethnicity. It would level the playing field by providing the same child care services and educational benefits to everyone.

The Issues with Disproportionality and Disparity

Derezotes and Hill (n.d.) address the question of why disproportionality is a problem. They noted that children of color remain in the child welfare system for longer periods of time, and there is a high correlation between longer stays and higher levels of mental health problems, poor academic performance, and antisocial behavior. Dettlaff and Rycraft (2010) reported that studies on disproportionality have sought to identify contributing factors in the following areas: individual and family risk factors, community risk factors, and agency and systemic factors.

The Race Matters Consortium identified causal factors correlated with risk among children, such as mental disorders, physical disabilities, antisocial behaviors, and delinquent behaviors. Among families, risk factors include emotional instability, substance abuse, poor parenting practices, homelessness, and unemployment. There is a disproportionate number of African-Americans living in poverty in the United States; Sedlak and Broadhurst (1996) reported that the incidence of maltreatment was 26 times higher in families earning under $15,000 annually compared with families earning $30,000 (Dettlaff & Rycraft, 2010).

These problems multiply at the community level: poverty, crime, substance abuse, and a culture with high levels of child maltreatment and pervasive, often multi-generational, joblessness.

The child welfare system itself is flawed. Factors contributing to issues associated with disproportionality include caseload size, staff turnover, and a lack of racial and ethnic diversity among workers, which can lead to worker biases (Race Matters Consortium). The Race Matters Consortium also reported disparities in the delivery of services to ethnic and minority children and recommends further research to guide policy at the federal, state, and local levels.

The Race Matters Consortium developed a model describing two paths that children could potentially follow in and through the child welfare system. Both paths examine risk factors that tend to result in maltreatment. In the first path, there is an absence of any safety measures to protect the child and keep him or her from needing referral. The second path suggests the possibility of factors that could mediate the risk of maltreatment, resulting in proportional representation of all children in the system. One potential solution to the problem of disproportionality and disparity in the delivery of child welfare services is the creation of a universal preschool program.