Racial/ethnic disparity in child welfare systems: A longitudinal study utilizing the Disparity Index (DI)

Examining racial disproportionality in child protective services case decisions

“…On the whole, these findings suggest that efforts to address racial disproportionality in CPS, which have predominantly focused cultural competence training for caseworkers and recruitment of minority workers (Chand, 2000; Harris & Hackett, 2008; James et al, 2008; Kim et al, 2011) are unlikely to reduce black-white gaps in CPS outcomes, particularly if they operate under the assumption that such differences are determined by white caseworkers’ assessments of black families. Rather, greater attention should be given to the geographic contexts in which families and caseworkers function, as well as to racial differences in sociodemographic and case characteristics that are associated with maltreatment.…”

“…Most frequently, evidence of disproportionality has been presented by comparing a racial or ethnic group’s prevalence in the general population to its prevalence at various stages of the CPS process (Children’s Action Alliance, 2008; Drake, Lee, & Jonson-Reid, 2009; Hill, 2007; Kim, Chenot, & Ji, 2011; Miller, 2008; Morton, 1999). Whereas this strategy is useful for describing relative rates of CPS involvement, it is unlikely to inform whether particular groups may be appropriately represented in CPS based on their underlying maltreatment rates.…”

“…Studies using other national data have concluded that black families are disproportionately represented in substantiation rates (Hill, 2007). Additionally, data from a number of state and municipal child welfare agencies have found differences in the rates of substantiation by race without adjusting for poverty or related risk factors, using a substantiation report ratio (Ards et al, 2003b; Children’s Action Alliance, 2008), substantiation-to-investigation ratio (Fluke et al, 2003), and substantiation-to-population ratio (Fluke et al, 2003; Hill, 2007; Kim et al 2011). Also, a study comparing maltreatment estimates from the National Incidence Study to CPS administrative data, found that racial disproportionality was primarily attributable to differences in substantiation rates rather than report or allegation rates (Ards et al, 2003a).…”

Unpacking the parallel effects of parental alcohol misuse and low income on risk of supervisory neglect

“…Future studies should assess these relationships over time to see how temporal ordering may influence observed relationships. It addition, these relationship may look different among child welfare system-involved parents, who are more likely to be people of color, young parents, single parents, and low-income compared to this study’s sample (Kim, Chenot, & Ji, 2011). Finally, these findings build upon the prior literature predominantly focused on extreme behaviors or circumstances (e.g., severe substance use disorders or extreme poverty) to understand how a range of alcohol misuse and income levels may be directly and/or indirectly associated with supervisory neglect outcomes.…”

Complex inequality: A contextual parenting framework for Latino infants

“…Research studies examining Latino racial and ethnic disparities within the child welfare system have produced mixed results. While some prior research indicates Latino children are not over represented (Fluke, Yuan, Hedderson, & Curtis, 2003; Kim, Chenot, & Ji, 2011), other analyses have identified patterns of disproportionality when investigating across state and county levels (Hines et al, 2003; Jones, 2006). Scholars argue these inconsistent reports are in part related to the tendency of Latinos to concentrate in certain geographic locations.…”