Individual and systemic/structural bias in child welfare decision making: Implications for children and families of color

The factors contributing to observed racial disproportionality and disparity in the child welfare system have been the subject of national discourse for decades. This qualitative study used focus groups to engage child welfare and collaborating system decision makers, community partners, and familie...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children and youth services review 2013-09, Vol.35 (9), p.1634-1642
Main Authors: Miller, Keva M., Cahn, Katharine, Anderson-Nathe, Ben, Cause, Angela G., Bender, Ryan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Child welfare
Child Welfare Services
Children
Decision Making
Discourse
Disparity
Disproportionality
Ethnocentrism
Focus groups
Group Decision Making
Individual bias
Oregon
Recruitment
Systemic/structural bias
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The factors contributing to observed racial disproportionality and disparity in the child welfare system have been the subject of national discourse for decades. This qualitative study used focus groups to engage child welfare and collaborating system decision makers, community partners, and families in a subjective interpretive analysis of racial disproportionality and disparity that had been demonstrated by a previous quantitative analysis of Oregon's child welfare system. Thematic analysis yielded eleven themes from the participant focus groups, four of which clustered around individual and structural/systemic bias and are examined in this paper: visibility bias; cultural bias and insensitivity; personal influences on determination of minimally adequate care; and foster and adoptive parent recruitment and licensing practices. Participants offered recommendations to improve outcomes for children and families of color in light of these observations: increase awareness of bias, create checks and balances in decision-making, contract with and hire culturally and racially diverse professionals, and increase funding for training. •This qualitative study examined racial disproportionality and disparity.•Focus groups included families, child welfare professionals and community partners.•Participants identified individual and systemic/structural bias as contributors.•Recommendations for child welfare action planning are presented.
ISSN:0190-7409
1873-7765
DOI:10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.07.002