Black Children and the Child Welfare System
As we wrap up February, we want to acknowledge that Black History Month is a time to reflect, celebrate, and honor the past and present contributions of black generations in the United States. Despite those that worked and are working to break down systemic barriers, the black community still faces daily oppression. This is mirrored in many facets of society, one most notable is the child welfare system. Exploring the intricacies of the child welfare system, especially at the intersectionality of race, is an important step in understanding why and how inequitable patterns persist. Hopefully, with the power of knowledge, the all-too-common paradigm of racial disparity can begin to shift toward a more equitable future for all BIPOC individuals.
The History of Black History Month
The origins of Black History month date back to the early 1900s as a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation. This was originally coined Negro History Week. Carter G. Woodson and several of his colleagues joined hands to create exhibits displaying the contributions that “their people made since the destruction of slavery.” (Scott, 2011). After an astonishing turnout of over 12,000 people, Woodson was determined to extend the celebration of black history in February and beyond. The month of February was chosen not to necessarily just celebrate two predominant figures in emancipation (Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass whose birthdays are in February) but more importantly to extend the scientific study of black history around a month when black history was already acknowledged.
It is crucial to recognize that Black History was not designed to study a few great men that helped shape black history over a month. The heart of this celebration is intended to continuously celebrate the black men, women, and community members that forged the path to racial advancement and those who continue to do so. Although Black History Month takes a paramount spotlight in celebrating the many contributions of the black community and individuals, Woodson believed, “black history [i]s too important to America and the world to be crammed into a limited time frame,” (Scott, 2011). It is our responsibility to extend the same acknowledgment of Black History Month over the entire year to continuously learn and unlearn the many racist structures and narratives that continue to persist surrounding the black community in the United States.
Black Children and the Child Welfare System
Children of color experience the hand of the child welfare system more than their white counterparts. Striking statistics show that 50% of black children will experience a child welfare investigation before they legally become adults at the age of 18 (White & Persson, 2022). This percentage directly translates to trauma and harm that the black community faces.
In the Texas statewide analysis Rider 33 Report for the fiscal year of 2021, statistics showed that “there was a higher proportion of African American children at all the different stages of DFPS involvement than the proportion of African American children in the statewide population.” (DFPS, 2021). Despite making up a fraction of the population compared to other races, black children were still a majority of cases within the child welfare system. These numbers continue to trend across Texas counties as well. For example, black children make up 18% of the child population in Harris County. Yet 41% of child removals by the system in Harris County are black children (DFPS, 2021). These numbers of evident disparities spread across all seven of the largest urban counties (Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Collin, and Denton) in the state of Texas.
The way the child welfare system is set up (beyond investigations) is a bolt in a much larger machine of systemic racism. Understanding how these systems operate in a harmful way is a great starting point in changing the rhetoric of injustice and moving towards a more equitable future.
What You Can Do
A change in a system as large as child welfare is not going to happen overnight. However, the list below shows different avenues of involvement that can stimulate sustainable change and movement toward an equitable future.
Education and Awareness
Visit your local memorials, museums, etc. either in person or virtually that highlight culturally diverse voices and perspectives. A few examples (of both in-person and webpages) are:
The National Museum of African American History & Culture – Museum and webpage
13 Parks and Monuments that Celebrate Black History – webpage
African American Heritage Sites – webpage with locations of various sites
State/Local Involvement
Vote! Visit this website for a step-by-step aid to register: How to Register to Vote
Contact your local legislators. Visit this website to find your legislators: Find your Legislators
Keep an eye on the continuously updated Key Metric Dashboard that the Department of Family Protection Services of Texas releases on its site. Find the document here: Monthly Data DFPS
Note that if you are not located in Texas, your state probably has a document like this too! Make sure to check your state’s Family Services webpage. Here is a broader resource to get started, www.childwelfare.gov
Sources:
Black History Month:
Black Children and the Child Welfare System: