The organization of social welfare for the family is an integral part of the social policy of the U.S. Child welfare services include a system of social guarantees, including allowances and other types of support in different life situations such as the upbringing, the disability of children, and the absence of parents. Government agencies and non-profit organizations work together to provide children with a safe childhood, including access to medical, educational, and entertainment resources, contributing to a harmonious upbringing. The well-being of children in the United States is of paramount importance; nevertheless, the child welfare system has specific challenges regarding racial injustice. This paper will discuss social justice problems in the sphere of services provided through child welfare associated with racial issues.
There are different forms of oppression and discrimination based on racial biases in the child welfare services system. It is reported that African American and Native American children have 2.2 and 2.9 times, respectively, higher chances to be placed in a foster family than getting in-home services as white children despite sharing the same challenges and characteristics (Ellis, 2019). Researchers highlight that systematic oppression of different racial groups in child welfare exists in police help, legal assistance, housing, and food assistance services provided due to biases and disproportionality of resources being allocated unfairly (Davis & Reber, 2016). The oppression and discrimination mechanisms adversely impact the population of color, including African American, Native American, Hispanic children. For instance, African American and Latino children are likely to be assessed for child abuse and be reported to child protective organizations when they have bone fractures (Ellis, 2019). Due to biases and structural racism, discriminatory actions arise and limit children’s access to healthcare, education, legal services, juvenile decisions that the child welfare system provides, and other organizations implement.
With the social justice problem related to racial disparities, various ethical dilemmas arise. Workers in the child welfare system must process various ethical considerations when providing services to children and families. There is a lack of tools needed to help child welfare employees assess different situations when children require help, such as child neglect, that should be thoroughly evaluated before making harsh decisions (Enosh & Bayer-Topilsky, 2015). Ethical dilemmas related to the decision to apply out-of-home placement for children of color is a challenging question that should be guided by principles of justice and unbiased methods that are sometimes neglected by employees (Enosh & Bayer-Topilsky, 2015). The NASW Code of Ethics (2020) aims to navigate the ambiguous process of resolving ethical issues to make the system fair and avoid biases by utilizing the rules of social justice, integrity, and competence. The utilization of these principles has positive outcomes for children and families and social work practice as they ensure that just solutions are found (Enosh & Bayer-Topilsky, 2015).
The current, enacted policies for fighting racial disparities in child welfare services provision are ruled out at the federal and state levels in the U.S. One of the significant national acts is The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) that regulates “the removal and out-of-home placement of American Indian children” (n.d., para. 2). The act was established to address racial disproportionality and biases when governors noticed that American Indian children were transferred to foster care organizations at a much higher rate than non-Native children. Interethnic Placement Act processed from that Multi-Ethnic Placement Act of 1994 fights discrimination of children placement based on their race, color, or national origin in the child welfare system (“Transracial adoptions in the U.S.,” 2017). The newest African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act, if enacted, would aim to decrease out-of-home placements and focus on the reunification of families and children if they were mistreated by the state’s child welfare system based on their race (Cooney, 2019).
Several acts and alliances are established to address the situation of racial disproportionality in the child welfare system. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these policies is questioned because new bills emerge to change the situation. Researchers state that specific initiatives under federal acts, such as Disproportionate Minority Representation (DMR) initiative, contribute to reducing the rate of disproportionality of African American children in the child welfare system and addresses the provision of children’s needs (Pryce et al., 2019). No Child Left Behind Act also proved to be successful in assisting people of color in education organizations related to the child welfare system (Yull, 2015). Nonetheless, it is stated that racial justice in the child welfare system lacks a clear assessment of the situation and requires changes (Murphy, 2020). Journalists highlight that safety concerns in the child welfare system might violate the U.S. Constitution and lead to adverse incidences, such as children dying in foster care, violent events on streets that should be addressed (Murphy, 2020).
Some acts and policies have had a positive impact on children of color in the child welfare system. The Indian Child Welfare Act helped Native Americans to protect the adoption process and ensure that children are treated fairly in various situations. However, numerous court cases challenged the policy and emphasized that the act may include racial distinction, which is not just (Litman & Fletcher, 2020). Such constraints, including controversial rules and limitations on the application of laws to specific racial groups, exist for children of color. Thus, equal protection challenges face different racial groups and require united policies and acts to comply with the U.S. Constitution.
Various organizations advocate policies and methods to address racial injustice in child welfare services provision. Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, The Center for the Study of Social Policy, the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities, and other organizations aim to continuously change the situation (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2020). Community partnerships, committees, opinion leaders’ participation are among emerging methods that could be taken to address the challenges and implement new acts, such as African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. The main strength of advocacy methods is the media support and development of discussions on racial injustice (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2020). Among challenges is a lack of unified communication that would help leaders propose standard solutions and align its methods to fight racial disparities in child protection systems and services.
To make a conclusion, one can state that the government and legislators should play a more significant role in social support for families with children while ensuring child welfare measures being taken are fair and adequate. To increase the effectiveness of child welfare services provided and ensure families’ everyday existence and the upbringing of decent citizens based on equality of rights and avoidance of racial biases, it is necessary to create an integrated system of state legislation. The improvement of the quality and accessibility of social services for children without racial, religious, and other types of oppression and discrimination would help children avoid traumatic experience and become successful.
References
Cooney, V. (2019). Expanded bill aims to address racial disparities in state’s child protection system through sweeping change. Minnesota House of Representatives.
Davis, A. & Reber, D. (2016). Advancing human rights and social and economic justice: Developing competence in field education. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1, 143–153.
Ellis, K. (2019). Race and poverty bias in the child welfare system: Strategies for child welfare practitioners. The American Bar Association.
Enosh, G. & Bayer-Topilsky, T. (2015). Reasoning and bias: Heuristics in safety assessment and placement decisions for children at risk. The British Journal of Social Work, 45(6), 1771–1787.
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). (n.d.). Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Litman, L. & Fletcher, M. (2020). The necessity of the Indian Child Welfare Act. The Atlantic.
Murphy, K. (2020). Racial justice requires improvements to the Texas CPS system. Texans care for children.
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2020). Disproportionality and disparity in child welfare. Web.
Pryce, J., Lee, W., Crowe, E., Park, D., McCarthy, M., & Owens, G. (2019). A case study in public child welfare: county-level practices that address racial disparity in foster care placement. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13(1), 35-59.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2020). Read the Code of Ethics.
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Yull, A. (2015). The impact of race and socioeconomic status on access to accommodations in postsecondary education. American University Journal of Gender Social Policy and Law, 23(2), 353-392. Web.