Aren’t they just black kids? Biracial children in the child welfare systemPosted in Articles, Media Archive, Politics/Public Policy, Social Work, United States on 2010-09-07 21:58Z by Steven |
Aren’t they just black kids? Biracial children in the child welfare system
Child & Family Social Work
Volume 15, Issue 4 (November 2010)
pages 441-45
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00690.x
Rachel A. Fusco, Assistant Professor of Social Work
University of Pittsburgh
Mary E. Rauktis, Research Assistant Professor of Social Work
University of Pittsburgh
Julie S. McCrae, Research Scientist
Butler Institute for Families
University of Denver
Michael A. Cunningham, Research Specialist
University of Pittsburgh
Cynthia K. Bradley-King, Field Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator, Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB)
University of Pittsburgh
In the USA, African-American children are overrepresented in the child welfare system. However, little is known about the child welfare system experiences of biracial children, who are predominately both White and African-American. To better understand this population, data from public child welfare in a US county were used to examine biracial children in the child welfare system. Results showed significant racial differences between children in the child welfare system. Despite the common belief that biracial children will have experiences similar to African-American children, the child welfare system seems to view them differently. Biracial children are more likely to be referred, rated as high risk and investigated compared with White or African-American children. Their mothers were younger, and were more often assessed as having physical, intellectual or emotional problems. These caregivers were also considered to have lower parenting skills and knowledge compared with White or African-American caregivers. Although the disproportionate representation of African-American children in the system has been well documented, this study provides evidence that biracial children are also overrepresented. Despite the fact that this is a rapidly growing population in the USA, there is little research available about biracial children and their families.
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