NCJ Number
239546
Date Published
May 2011
Length
85 pages
Annotation
Based on data reported by child welfare agencies regarding children in foster care, this report examines the disproportionality rates for children of color in foster care.
Abstract
In 2000, African-American/Black children composed 36 percent of the foster care population, even though they constituted only 15 percent of the general child population. Native-American children composed 2.6 percent of the foster-care population, while constituting 1.2 percent of the general child population. Hispanic/Latino children, although not overrepresented nationally, were disproportionately represented in foster care in 17 States. These data on the disproportionate rate of children of color in foster care have led to efforts by child welfare professionals to address this issue. A 2007 Government Accountability Office report identified every State's disproportionality index using 2004 population estimates and 2004 data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). The disproportionality findings were summarized in a table that portrayed the problem of disproportionality and highlighted States whose disproportionality rates were greater than 2 (i.e., the racial/ethnic group was represented in foster care at a rate twice their proportion in the general population). The current report duplicates this table and includes the 2009 data for comparison. Some States have substantially reduced their disproportionality of children of color in foster care. Other States show slight increases or decreases, or have remained the same in the 5-year time span. Overall, in 2004, the United States had an African-American/Black disproportionality rate of 2.65; in 2009, this was reduced to 2.36. The change for Native-American children has been slightly less. Extensive figures and tables and 12 references