Addressing Racial Disparities in Child Protection

1. Addressing Racial Disparities in Child Protection Minnesota’s Response Thursday, April 21, 2005 Maxie Rockymore, John Edmonds, Dr. Susan Wells

2. History: • State supervised - County administered • Demographics/statistics: In 2000 the African American community says there is something amiss! As a percentage of the general population, African American children are five times more likely to be in out- of- home care. African American families are more likely to be reported for neglect (80% for African Americans vs. 64 % Caucasian ) (DHS Data 2000) • The 2001 State Legislature steps in and gives the Minnesota Department of Human Services a mandate, to study the problem (why African American children are disproportionately represented in out of home placements), and produce a report with recommendations. • The African American Disparities Advisory Committee was convened in 2001: Dr. Bill Allen and Erin Sullivan Sutton, co-chairs,

3. Partnership: • Community: African American leaders, folks, clients, COMACC • Legislators: Rep. Neva Walker, Senator Linda Berglin • State: Minnesota Department of Human Services, Ombudsman for African American Families, State Council on Black Minnesotans • Counties: Anoka, Hennepin, Olmsted, Ramsey (89% of the African American children reported and accepted for assessment in 2000 were from these four counties) • Advocacy groups: MN Children’s Defense Fund • Academia: University of Minnesota, Augsburg College

4. Recommendations: • Improving county Practices • Monitoring and evaluating county practices to eliminate disparities • Emphasizing culturally competent training and innovative service strategies • Working on partnerships with the African American community and • Advocating for supports needed by African American families to ensure children are growing up in safe and nurturing homes, and families are thriving.

5. Three Studies: • Dr. Susan Wells, University of Minnesota • Study of Outcomes for African American Children in Minnesota’s Child Protection System http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/MS-1943-ENG (April 2002) (examines key decision making points) • African American Case Review Study (Report will be released in May) (examines case practice by recorded case documentation) Dr. Susan Wells • Dr. Meyers study on Neglect ( in progress) • Administrative Data review by St. Olaf University College students

6. Commitment: • Vision: A shared vision! • Value of your agency: Reducing Disparity • Organizational will

7. Capacity: • Staff (line and managerial) • Resources • Time • Data System (SACWIS) • Stakeholders (community, courts, judges, law enforcement

8. Courage: • Face disparities • System inadequacies • Communications -thornbirds/adversaries • Committee (Community co-chair—State Administration co-chair) • Ready for system change

9. Character: • Integrity of agency • Inclusivity: families, communities—diversity in your community/state • Culture of your organization: • How do you work together? • How do you communicate? • Who needs to hear the message that you will begin to address disparities?

10. Creativity: • (What does change and better outcomes for African American families look like?) • Creative solutions: Olmsted County, John Edmonds, MSW, Supervisor • Partnership Plan • Project Hope

11. Outcomes and results: • Child welfare reform strategies: Family Group Decision Making, Alternative Response, Concurrent Permanency Planning. • Hennepin County- Actively working to reduce out of home placements. Hennepin county has 600 licensed foster homes of which 35% are licensed relative homes. The majority of these 600 homes are African American. • Anoka County-All staff is required to attend cultural diversity training. Anoka County has begun to actively identify and place with kin. Created a Permanency Unit in 2003- focuses on culturally appropriate placements, monitoring and evaluation. • Ramsey County- Multi year project to reduce racial disparities in the child protection system and in out –of- home placements.

12. -In memory of Jacqui Smith- • Contact info: Maxie.Rockymore@state.mn.us or call (651) 296-7652, Edmonds.John@co.olmsted.mn.us (507) 285-8211 Swells@che.umn.edu (612) 624-4721.