Racial Disparities within the Child Welfare System

By Denise C.
Abstract: Though often overlooked, the experiences of inequity and injustice within the U.S. child welfare system is a concerning issue for racial groups. Racial inequalities in societal and systemic forms have been shown to place negative impacts, specifically with factors such as disproportionality, unjust maltreatment, and geographical disadvantages. Low-income areas are connected with these recurring events for certain racial groups and policy makers within the system haven’t contributed to solving these apparent issues. Researchers have sought to understand these factors and formulate solutions that can benefit both communities and the families most affected by these disparities. 

Keywords: Societal, systemic, disproportionality, maltreatment, geographical, disparities, communities

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Summary: 

Racial inequalities occur within governmental systems all throughout the United States, including negative effects when dealt with both societal and systemic factors. These racial disparities create negative impacts upon racial groups in these targeted areas and communities, specifically with inequity and injustice. Governmental systems play a big role in the racial disparities occurring within the U.S. child welfare system, especially with the recurring experiences of neglect and injustice toward racial groups. Certain negatively impactful aspects being put toward these families involve overrepresentation, neglect, and unfair disadvantages in certain geographical areas. These racial disparities are beginning to increase for families involved in child welfare and the safety of these targeted racial groups have become jeopardized, revealing the need for new potential solutions. Necessary solutions that can be implemented in order to address these factors are involved with creating community-level services that benefit these targeted families and communities. 

The specific factors that have been negatively impacting certain families and racial groups in the child welfare system involve disproportionality, racial inequity, and geographical disadvantages. These injustice factors contribute to the recurrence of these negative experiences dealt by these families and the understanding of these factors are beneficial in addressing these. With the injustice experiences occurring within child welfare, disproportionality or overrepresentation toward a certain racial group’s status play a big role in the unfair decision making and racial biases. Racial biases occur many times within the system and have been shown to be dealt with inequitable outcomes toward certain families such as African Americans and Native Americans. Racial biases in child welfare, specifically when involved with processing and decision making, plays a big contribution to influencing the negative impacts occurring. When focusing on the inequitable aspects within the system, the geographical aspects are also beneficial in understanding what is contributing to the racial disparities. Families or racial groups who are specifically involved in low-income or impoverished areas suffer major disadvantages especially when dealt with the idea of neglect and the rates of maltreatment. The factors related to disproportionality, racial inequity, and geographical disadvantages play a big role in contributing to the racial disparities within the child welfare system. 

​When addressing the negatively impact factors that are a contribution to the injustice and neglectful experiences dealt by certain racial groups in child welfare, the most beneficial solution is related to community-level services. Implementing community-level services successfully prevents or addresses the negative effects of disproportionality, racial inequity, and the geographical advantages placed upon racial groups within the system. The use of these services provide the necessary resources for these neglected families, improves the injustice case outcomes, and reduces the racial inequity put upon these racial groups. Community-level services are essential in preventing the racial disparities that are negatively affecting the racial groups that are most targeted within the child welfare system.