Disparities found in child welfare

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 Wednesday answers the question of racial disproportionality definitively.

"Does it exist?" asked 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 2007 law, began by looking at the 58,000 calls to state Child Protective Services (CPS) 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 differently from 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 indicated 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 white 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 as their white counterparts.

Arnold-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.

Beginning in 2003, Washington attempted to address racial disproportionality among African Americans with the creation of the Office of African American Children's Services (OAACS). That office was geared toward serving black children in King County, and it initially was considered a national model. Earlier this year, the program was closed after a federal civil-rights investigation deemed it "deeply flawed."

With the OAACS model no longer an option, the study group will have to come up with other possible ways to reduce disproportionality. The 2007 law requires the group to examine reasons for the disparity and, by December, come up with ways to address it.

As part of that process, officials here will consult with those in other states, including Texas and Michigan, which have undertaken similar studies and found similar results.

In the meantime, the University of Washington, Casey Family Programs and the state Children's Administration are hosting a symposium on the issue Thursday and Friday.

"We need to better understand why some children are referred while other children, with similar family characteristics, are not," Arnold-Williams said in a news 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