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Michigan’s Child Welfare System

Explore the critical issue of overrepresentation in Michigan's child welfare system, focusing on racial disproportionality and disparity among children in foster care. Understand the contributing issues and high stakes involved in the care of vulnerable youth.

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Michigan’s Child Welfare System

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  1. Michigan’s Child Welfare System Why is Overrepresentation a Critical Issue?

  2. Overrepresentation: General label for both racial disproportionality and racial disparity • Racial Disproportionality - A situation where racial minorities occur in the child welfare population at rates higher than the occurrence in general population • Racial Disparity - Occurs when the rate of disproportionality of one racial group, (e.g., African Americans) exceeds that of a comparison group (e.g., White Americans)

  3. High Stakes • 600,000 Children in Foster Care • Reason for Placement • Neglect 65% • Abuse 25% • Almost 50% of Children in care are 11 Years or older • Native American Youth have the highest suicide rate of any group of youth in the U.S.

  4. For Children who stay in foster care four or more years, the median number of placements is 37 (varies widely) • African American Children represent 15% of all US Children, but account for 28% entering care in 2001. • 38% of those Children are still in care

  5. The Picture for Older Youth • Generally teens who ‘age out’ of care entered as teens OUTCOMES(?) • 50% graduated from High School or have a GED (85% of all youth between 18 - 24 have graduated/GED) • 25% endured a period of homelessness • 70% have not maintained a job for a year • One in four Males and one in ten Females have spent time in jail

  6. Wayne County’s Picture • 2,310 youth in care are 14 and older • 13 y/o 503 • 14 y/o 548 • 15 y/o 478 • 16 y/o 466 • 17 y/o 397 • 18 y/o 264 • 19 and older 157

  7. Wayne County’s Picture • 1,971 of the older youth in care are African American • 4 American Indian/Alaskan Native • 307 White • 45 have Hispanic ethnicity • 1,200 Female • 1,090 Male

  8. Wayne County’s Picture 429 Currently in a Foster Home 381 in a Private Child Placing Institution 74 in a Public Shelter 591 in Relative Home

  9. Michigan’s Picture

  10. What are the Contributing Issues(CSSP Survey) • Confusion between poverty and neglect • System inability to educate public & partners on abuse, neglect in a context of cultural issues • Substance use & mental health services and housing • Not enough prevention and family preservation in neighborhoods

  11. Contributing Issues continued • Lack of well-trained Gatekeepers - • What assumptions/biases are operative? (color “blindness’ leads to to biased ‘lens’ and treatment) • Culturally competent staff • Training • Supervision • Historic lack of trust of the system on the part of minority communities • Cultural biases at key decision points • State management disproportionally white

  12. Contributing Issues continued • Resources • Individual perception, denial of racism within system • Defensiveness about issues makes it difficult to discuss • Lack of data about effectiveness of all services, including foster care • Not giving parents and youth a voice • No accountability for system outcomes • Connection between neglect, foster care, juvenile justice

  13. Where Do We Go From Here?

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