Issues relevant to working with African-American families, including State and local examples.
Changing Course: Improving Outcomes for African American Males Involved with Child Welfare Systems (PDF - 1,188 KB)
Miller, Farrow, Meltzer, & Notkin (2014)
Outlines the experience of African-American males involved with the child welfare system and provides recommendations for specific policy and practice strategies to implement that show promise in supporting improved outcomes for African-American males.
Factors Impeding the Social and Academic Progress of African American Males in Foster Care
Sandles & Magdaleno (2016)
CLEARvoz Journal, 3(2)
Identifies factors that impede and contribute to the social and academic achievement of African-American males in foster care, as well as proposals for potential remedies.
Race and Class in the Child Welfare System
Roberts
Public Broadcasting Service
Analyzes ways in which race affects child protective service caseworkers’ decisions to remove children from homes.
Why Develop a Cultural Sensitive Approach to Social Work With African American Clients?
Hawkins
The New Social Worker
Discusses cultural differences that may impede a social worker's ability to build rapport with African-American clients and explains how a culturally sensitive approach mitigates these challenges.
Working With African American Adoptive, Foster and Kinship Families (PDF - 4,762 KB)
AdoptUSKids (2012)
Assists child welfare caseworkers in understanding and engaging historical and cultural aspects of African-American clients.
State and local examples
An Ethnography of African American Parents’ Perceptions About Exiting the Child Welfare System
Moten (2018)
Examines the perceived barriers experienced by African-American families navigating the child welfare system in Michigan.
Fresno County Department of Social Services: Confronting Racial Inequities and Disproportionality to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes for Children & Families (PDF - 476 KB)
Weber (2015)
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Provides insight into Fresno County’s early and continuing efforts to address racial inequities in the California county's child welfare system, as well as improve outcomes for all children and youth involved.
Nurturing the Resiliency in Wayne County Families: Rethinking the Family Decision-Making Model as Community Centered Child and Family Work: Final Report: Funding Recipient: Homes for Black Children (PDF - 3,041 KB)
Nurturing the Resiliency in Wayne County Families (2014)
Describes the activities and accomplishments of a federally funded program designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of Family Group Decision-Making as a best practice model in reducing the number of urban children who enter foster care and to reduce foster care recidivism in Wayne County, Michigan.
A Practice Guide for Working with African American Families in the Child Welfare System: The Role of the Caseworker in Identifying, Developing and Supporting Strengths in African American Families Involved in Child Protective Services (PDF - 520 KB)
Rockymore (2013)
Minnesota Department of Human Services, Child Safety & Permanency Division
Serves as a reference guide that aims to help child protective services caseworkers identify and support strengths of African-American families on their caseloads as a means of effective engagement and family intervention.
Race for Results: Wisconsin's Need to Reduce Racial Disparities (PDF - 968 KB)
Taylor & Cornelius (2014)
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Describes results from the Race for Results index that indicates a large disparity between Wisconsin’s White children and their non-White peers. The report states the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) is committed to racial equity and outlines its efforts to reduce racial disparities in Wisconsin.
Racial Disproportionality in the Foster Care System in Texas (PDF - 278 KB)
Cheung & Leung (2014)
Journal of Family Strengths, 14(1)
Analyzes the demographic characteristics of foster care children under the care of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in Texas over 12 years. The authors explain that this data demonstrates the need to set up a national agenda on closing the gap in racial disproportionality in the child welfare system.