Exploration of Disproportionality of African-American Children in the Child Welfare System

A disproportionate number of African-American children are languishing in the child welfare system. Racial biases, decision-making, and oppressive policies have contributed to the disproportionate number of African-American children in the foster care system. While, there is limited evidence between race and rates of maltreatment, African-Americans are more likely to be investigated for child abuse and have their children removed from their custody and supervision.;The primary goal of this study was to describe and explore the factors that contributed to disproportionality in Los Angeles, and to provide recommendations that can add value to practices in the field of child welfare. The secondary research goal was to examine the child welfare experiences of biological parents and children welfare workers. Additionally, the research set out to identify the contributing factors to disproportionality among African-American children in the foster care system. Also, the research examined services that child welfare workers and parents found helpful in Los Angeles, which contributed to the reduction of African-American children in the child welfare system.