Addressing Disproportionality in Texas

A Committed Community Collaboration

Presented by:

Carolyne Rodriguez, Director of Texas State Strategy, Casey Family Programs

Deborah Green, Texas Child Protective Services Disproportionality Initiative Lead

Objectives for Today

Introducing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Casey Family Program's commitment to addressing disproportionality in the child welfare system

Setting the context for work to address disproportionality in Texas

Describing what the data is confirming about the issue

Establishing the linkage of this work to DFPS Renewal in Texas

Introducing the collaborative, community-based approach Texas is taking to address the problem

A Shared Vision . . .

In May of 2004, Casey Family Programs and DFPS entered a collaborative relationship, committed to concentrating resources and energy to establish an intensive planning and implementation process to reduce disproportionality in the Texas child welfare system.

Texas was chosen in part because of: its large child population, its potential for significant program and policy impact on a

statewide level, and its long-established working relationship with Casey Family

Programs in a systems improvement collaborative called The Texas State Strategy.

Casey Family Programs

Mission and organizational values Internal practices and changes

Strengths-based work efforts and plans Shared decision-making/shared power Prevention and flexibility in funding Cross-systems work Cultural competency Data, evaluation

Casey’s Work Efforts in Texas

Texas State Strategy

Family Group Decision Making

Family Focus

Transitional Living

CPS Education Initiative

Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Disproportionality

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)

Children First, Safe and Secure!

The Child Protective Services (CPS) program of DFPS is designated to receive alleged reports of child maltreatment and to investigate reports of suspected abuse and neglect. The total child population for the state of Texas in 2005 is estimated at 6,277,205.

Goal: To ensure child safety and to provide services that promote the integrity and stability of the family.

CPS: Leading Change

CPS is committed to addressing disproportionality through its vision of Children First, Safe and Secure, and ensuring alignment with CPS values of respect, integrity, inclusiveness, commitment, and compassion.

Strategies include: Increasing collaboration, Promoting promising practices and tools

and the improved use of data, and Increasing the cultural competence of CPS

staff at all levels.

Principles of Work Effort

Disproportionality is a systemic issue, involving multiple systems; it is not solely a CPS problem.

Parallel objectives: reducing the number of African-American

youth entering the system improving the outcomes for those who are

in care

Internal Review at CPS

Examination of internal practices and policies

Considering practice models that can be applied at the community level

Expected Outcomes

To reduce, and ultimately to prevent, the disproportionate representation of and disparate outcomes for African-American children in the child welfare system.

Who is Involved?

DFPS

Casey Family Programs

Community stakeholders African-American children and families Local government agencies Non-profit agencies Community members

Starting with the Data

United States Data

*American Indian/Alaska Native category does not include youth in Tribal Custody.Sources: Census Data (2000); AFCARS Data (September 30, 2000)

Race/Ethnicity Number of Youth in U.S. Population

Percent of Population

Number of Youth in

Foster Care

Percent in Foster Care

White / Caucasian

44,027,087 61% 208,632 38%

Black / African American

10,610,264 15% 220,660 40%

Hispanic 12,342,259 17% 81,890 15%

American Indian / Alaska Native

685,911 1% 10,994 2%

Asian / Pacific Islander

2,529,773 3% 5,978 1%

Other / Two or More Races

2,098,518 3% 27,846 5%

TOTAL 72,293,812 100% 556,000 100%

Texas Data

41.8

42.3

12.8

37.1

39.0

21.4

34.7

35.8

27.0

29.0

34.5

34.9

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

Perc

en

t

Summary of Statewide Data - Texas

African-American

Hispanic

Anglo

Texas Data Summary

Disproportionality increases with increased involvement in child welfare system.

Different regions/localities face different challenges.

Region 6 (Houston) Data

39.0

37.9

18.1

32.8

30.5

33.4

29.6

29.7

37.5

18.5

22.4

57.0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Perce

nt

Summary Data - Region 6 (Houston)

African-American

Hispanic

Anglo

Region 6 (Houston) Data, cont.

51.5

24.026.5

11.1

4.9 5.3 4.21.2 1.6

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Rate

per

10

00

Reports Substantiated Reports Removals

Summary Data - Region 6 (Houston)Rate per 1000 children in regional population

African-American Hispanic Anglo

From the Beginning

Highly collaborative process

Early discussions and practice implementation

Addressing all levels of CPS system

Recognizing importance of cross-systems communication

Casey’s role

Houston Planning Process

November 2004: Planning Session

January 2005: Begin Action Planning

February 2005: Undoing Racism Training

Summer 2005: Complete Action Plan

Fall 2005: Begin Implementation

Houston’s Actions

Leadership commitment Selection as one of two pilot regions Diversity and breadth of

Disproportionality Community Advisory Committee

Commitment to stakeholder involvement

Next steps…

CPS Disproportionality Staff

Future presentations / continued communication about the work efforts

State level task force

Regional implementation

Objectives for African-American Youth and Families

More youth and family engagement Fewer youth in the foster care system Fewer moves in out-of-home placement Less time in foster care placement More youth placed with kin More foster and adoptive homes More community commitment, involvement,

and resources More effective outcomes for all youth Enhanced best practice models

The Right Thing to Do

“Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?

Expediency asks the question, is it polite?

Vanity asks the question, is it popular?

But conscience asks the question, is it right?

And there comes a time when one must take a position that is

neither safe, nor polite, nor popular

– but one must take it because it is right.” 

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.