Minority Youth and Families Initiative
Reducing Minority Over-representation in the Child Welfare System
NRCFCP's DMC Resource Center is working with the Iowa Department of Human Services in two local demonstration sites to reduce the over-representation of minority children in the child welfare system. Click on these links for descriptions of the Des Moines and Sioux City projects and Sioux City's logic model. Evaluation reports are currently available: click on recent draft evaluation for the evaluation of the first year of the projects. For the MYFI Year 2 evaluation in Polk County [click here] and for the Year 2 evaluation in
Woodbury County [click here].
Draft MYFI Practice Guide (April 2008)
For a copy of the October 2, 2007 presentation to the Race Matters Consortium [click here]
For a copy of the 2007 presentation at the NICWA Conference on the Woodbury County MYFI [click here].
For a copy of the 2006 presentation at the NICWA Conference on the Woodbury County MYFI [click here].
For quickfacts on Native Americans living in Iowa from the Iowa Data Center [click here]
On June 22, 2005 a conference was held in Sioux City titled "Listening to the Voices: Beyond the Addiction," a community uprising sponsored by The Community Initiative for Native Children and Families, Iowa Department of Human Services, Sioux City Police Department and The University of Iowa School of Social Work. For the proceedings click here.
SAVE THE DATE NOVEMBER 29 & 30 , 2007 for THE 6th ANNUAL DMC RESOURCE CENTER CONFERENCE
(materials will be posted here soon)
For links to MYFI related materials on the DHS website [click here]
Click here to access organizational capacity assessment tools.
Click here to access the guided assessment tool for Risk Assessment in Child Welfare (Gilgun, 2000)
Recently Published:
Disproportionate representation in the child welfare system: Emerging promising practices survey. Vandergrift, K. (2006). Washington, DC National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators an affiliate of the American Public Human Services Association: http://www.aphsa.org/NAPCWA/docs/Disproportionate-Representation.pdf
The NASW Specialty Practice Sections Annual Bulletin InterSections in Practice is available online:
http://www.socialworkers.org/sections/intersection/intersections_2005-2006.pdf . The theme of the Fall 2005 issue is disparities and contains an article by DMC Coordinator Brad Richardson and Nancy McFall Jean of NASW. Charlene Thiede of the Iowa Department of Education is also a featured author in the most recent issue of InterSections in Practice.
The Link, CWLA's juvenile justice newsletter explores the link between involvement in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and is available online as a downloadable PDF file (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). The current issue (Fall/Winter 2005) contains the feature article by Dr. Brad Richardson entitled:
"Community Interventions to Reduce Over-Representation in Iowa's Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems." To download and read the latest issue of The Link, go to: http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjdnewsletter.htm
Overrepresentation
of Minority Children: How the Child Welfare System Is Responding (2003)
This report from the Children's Bureau suggests that children of color,
especially African American children, are over represented in the child
welfare system for a variety of reasons, including poverty and racial
bias. It is one of the first studies to explore the attitudes and perceptions
of the child welfare community regarding racial disproportionality. It
emphasizes the need for stronger administrative support, increased staff
training in both general child welfare issues and cultural competency,
and more internal and external resources to better serve families.
This report prepared for The Annie E. Casey Foundation by Dorothy E. Roberts, Northwestern University School of Law, provides historical documentation of racial disparities in child welfare, examines the theories that racial disparity "may stem from societal conditions outside the system that increase the risk of involvement...; from racially differential practices within the system; or from both," and offers suggestions for promising practices to successfully reduce the level of disproportionality in state systems.
The National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care Services published Fact Sheet Number 50 in 1997. Authored by Shirley Pinder Cook the article states: Cultural responsiveness is being aware of, and capable of functioning in, the context of cultural difference. It is an essential tool in moving personal and professional interactions beyond racial assessments to cultural relevancy. Building capacities and skills to communicate effectively with individuals from any culture opens avenues to more information that can assist in the development of service plans. It also assists in the development of intervention strategies that recognize unique strengths and respect competencies.
http://www.archrespite.org/archfs50.htm
As another example of a child welfare redesign, the California Child Welfare Redesign, may be found at:
http://www.cwsredesign.ca.gov/
The 3rd in a series of National Incidence Studies (NIS) confirms findings from previous NIS. The NIS-3 (Natl Incidence Study 3) found no race differences in maltreatment incidence. The NIS-3 reiterates the findings of the earlier national incidence studies in this regard. That is, the NIS-1 and the NIS-2 also found no significant race differences in the incidence of maltreatment or maltreatment-related injuries.
http://www.healthieryou.com/cabuse.html
For more information on the
Minority Youth and Families Initiative contact:
Brad Richardson
Associate Research Scientist
(319) 335-4924
brad-richardson@uiowa.edu
