Study: Children of minorities fare worse in child-welfare system

Whether children of color are overrepresented in the child-welfare system is a topic that's long been discussed in certain circles. An extensive report released today answers the question of racial disproportionality definitively.

"Does it exist?" said Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams. "Yes, very clearly.

"We're no different from any other state," she continued.

The study, which was required by a law passed in 2007, began by looking at the 58,000 calls to Child Protective Services in 2004 that reported suspected abuse or neglect. The study group, which included experts and representatives from the community, then tracked those cases through the process to see whether children of color fared any differently than white children. Were the calls accepted for investigation? Were children removed from the home? Did they remain in care for more than two years?

Overall, the study showed that African-American and Native American children are more likely than white children to enter the child-welfare system and to be removed from their homes for long periods . Asian-American children, on the other hand, were no more likely to be removed and they were less likely to remain in long-term care than whites children. Hispanic children fared somewhere in the middle, faring worse than whites but better than African Americans and Native Americans.

The study reveals that much of the disparity stems from the very beginning of the process — the initial complaint to CPS. Native American children are almost three times as likely and black children are almost twice as likely to be referred to CPS than their white counterparts.

Williams said that may be, in part, because those families are more likely to live in poverty and thus are more likely to come in contact with service providers who are required by law to report suspected abuse and neglect to authorities.

"We do believe that has something to do with the numbers," she said.

That issue, along with other causes of disproportionality, will be the topic of further study. The law requires the study group examine reasons for the disparity and, by December, come up with suggestions to reduce the problem. The Legislature may then consider possible laws to address the problem in the next session.

"We need to better understand why some children are referred while other children, with similar family characteristics, are not," Arnold-Williams said in a press release. "Societal issues must be addressed collectively. It's going to take a lot of folks, listening to each other and working together, to develop a remediation plan."

Maureen O'Hagan: 206-464-2562 or mohagan@seattletimes.com