the permanency enhancement project: working together for change

Improving Permanency and Addressing

Disproportionality and Disparity

in Peoria CountyPrepared by the Center for Adoption Studies

School of Social Work at Illinois State University, September 2010

The Permanency Enhancement Project: Working Together for

Change

2

Overview Of Illinois Permanency Enhancement

Initiatives

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Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP)• Partnership between:

– Community Stakeholders– IDCFS – IDCFS AA Advisory Council – Illinois AA Family Commission– State Universities

• Illinois State University (Lead University)• Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville• University of Illinois at Chicago• Northern Illinois University

Overall goals of PEP:• Improve permanency outcomes for all

children in foster care • Reduce disparities in the number of African

American children in foster care • Promote community based solutions to

improve permanency among DCFS involved youth

• Monitor child welfare and permanency outcomes for youth

Court Partnership Projects

Community Partnerships/Outreach

Parenting Support/Outreach

University Partnerships

Racial Disproportionality

Racial Disparities

Disproportionality and Disparity

AGENCY RELATED FACTORS: -Lack of culturally responsive family engagement practices

-Lack of collaboration with courts -Lack of sufficient linkages to community based resources ‐ (See: Houston, 2007)

COURT RELATED FACTORS:COURT RELATED FACTORS: -Lack of judicial training on minimum parenting standards and risk

- Lack of awareness about emotional trauma caused by parent child separation‐

- Unrealistic “middle class expectations” for parents

- Lack of awareness about cultural differences among diverse family types (See: Houston, 2007)

COMMUNITY FACTORS:COMMUNITY FACTORS:

-Lack of culturally responsive service providers

-Lack of community ownership and investment in families

-Perception that DCFS can solve the problem

-Insufficient cross systems collaboration‐ (See: Houston, 2007)

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Why Issues of Permanency and Overrepresentation Matter

Racial Disparity and Overrepresentation of African Americans in Child Welfare is a Current and Historical Reality:

– AA children comprise 31% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)

– AA children comprise 50% of the foster care population (US ACYF, 2005).

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Why Issues of Race and Permanency Matter

–AA children are more likely to age out of foster care without reunification or other permanency options (Courtney and Wong, 1996; Wulczyn, 2004).

– Nationally, Caucasian children are 4 times more likely to be reunited with family (Hill, 2006)

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National Evidence of Racial Disparity and Disproportionality

• African American mothers more likely to be tested/reported for pre-natal drug exposure than Caucasian mothers (Chasnoff, 1990)

• Doctors more likely to diagnose “abuse” for low income families and “accident” for affluent families (Lane, Rubin, Monteith, & Christian, 2002).

• Low income African American families receiving public assistance are more likely to have allegations substantiated (Barth, 2005)

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National Evidence of Racial Disparity and Disproportionality

• Once a report is made…African American Families are more likely to be screened for an abuse/neglect investigation (Gryzlak, Wells, and Johnson (2005)

• Investigations of African American families are more likely when reports come from social service providers.

• A report is more likely to be indicated when initiated by a professional AND the family is African American

• AA youth 36 % more likely to be removed from the home following a substantiated report (U.S. DHHS, 2005).

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Once a Case is Substantiated for Abuse/Neglect…

• Black children(families) are less likely to receive in-home preservation services (Hill, 2006).

• Less likely to receive mental health services• Less likely to be returned home• Remain in care longer before achieving

permanency through adoption/guardianship• More likely to age out of care without

permanency

What Does the DATA Tell Us?

Peoria County

How do Peoria County Children Enter the Child Welfare System?

Peoria County

Indicated reports FY 2010Source Number Percent of total Law enforcement 192 35%Medical 131 24%Social services 72 13%School personnel 61 11%Relative/neighbor 47 9%“Other” 28 5%DCFS personnel 8 1%Child care centers 6 1%Coroner/Medical Exam 1 <1%

546 100%Source: DCFS QA FY 2010

How do Children Enter the Child Welfare System?

Peoria County

As shown above, law enforcement was the largest source of indicated reports in Peoria County.

Further, law enforcement reports overall were more likely to be indicated than reports from other sources.- 54% of reports (192 reports out of 356) from law enforcement personnel were indicated in FY2010.- 48% of reports from medical sources were indicated.

Source: DCFS QA FY 2010

What Types of Harm do Children Experience?

Peoria County

Type N indicated % of totalABUSESubstantial risk of harm 101 12%Physical abuse 73 9%Sexual abuse 40 5%Emotional abuse 7 1%

NEGLECTBlatant disregard 404 50%Lack of supervision 117 14%Environmental 34 4%Lack of health 33 4%

809 100%Source: DCFS QA FY 2010

What Types of Harm …?

Peoria County

By far the most common harm to children is neglect/ blatant disregard for child’s welfare, representing half (50%) of all indicated reports. The second most common is lack of supervision (14%), followed by substantial risk(12%).Sexual abuse per se accounts for 5% of indicated cases. However, when this is combined with substantial risk of sexual injury (n=41), then 10% of cases relate to sexual harm to children.


Peoria County

In 2010, 200 children and youth entered foster care in Peoria County.

Gender: female – 47% male – 53%

Race:African American 66%White 32%Hispanic 02%


Who Entered Care in 2010?

Who is in Care?

Peoria County

- At the close of FY10, 843 children were in out-of-home care in Peoria County.This was a slight decrease from the previous year (904).

- 62% of children were African American- 33% were White- 3% were unknown- 2% were Hispanic

Source: DCFS QA FY 2010. *There are on-going concerns about how Latino or

Hispanic ethnicity is determined for DCFS clients. This percent is based on classification in QA data.

Who is in Care?

Peoria County

GENDER 46% of youth are female, 54% male

AGE 23% 2 or under23% 3 - 5 19% 6 - 914% 10 - 13

13% 14 - 17 7% 18+

Source: DCFS QA 2010

What are the Permanency Goals for Youth in Care?*

Peoria County

Reunification 314 42%Adoption 279 37%Independence 101 13%Guardianship 55 7%

749 100%


*This table excludes the 94 children for whom data were missing or coded as “other”

Where are Children Placed?*

Peoria County

- with kin (46%) - traditional foster care (31%)

- specialized care (18%)

- institution/group care (5%)

* QA data combines foster and relative care, thus this information is from CFRC for FY09.

How was Permanency Achieved For Children in 2010?

Peoria County

248 children achieved permanency in FY10

Adoption 74 -- 30%

Reunification 167 -- 67%

Subsidized Guardianship 7 -- 3%


How have Permanency Rates Changed over Time?

Peoria County

Source: CFRC 2009

How have 24 Month Permanency Rates Changed Over Time?

Peoria County

Source: CFRC 2009

What are the Permanency Trends in our County?

Peoria County

Disproportionality and Disparity in our Action Team Area

Peoria County

DISPROPORTIONALITY: The percentage of children in a population as compared to

the percentage of children in the same group in the child welfare system.

For example, if 25% of the children in a county were African American, then 25% of those in foster care should be African American, all things being equal. That would be proportional. If these percents differ there is disproportionality.

DISPARITY: Unequal treatment and/or outcomes when comparing

children of color to non-minority children.

For example, if Hispanic children are less likely to achieve permanency than white children then there is disparity - disparate outcomes by race/ethnicity

Is There Disproportionality in Peoria County?

Peoria County

YES. African American children continue to be overrepresented among children in care in our County.

30% of the child population is African American, compared to 64% of those in care.

65% of the child population is White, compared to 34% of those in care.

5% of the child population is Hispanic, compared to 2% of those in care

This overrepresentation has been the case for many years.

However, 64% is a reduction from the 68% of youth in care who were African American in 2005 and 2006.

Source: 2009 population data come from CFRC, 2010 placement data from QA

Peoria County

Disproportionality

Peoria County

Disproportionality Over Time

Peoria County

Are There Differences in Permanency Goals by Race?* YES

African American White

Reunification 207 44% 94 39%

Adoption 160 34% 97 40%

Guardianship 38 8% 15 6%

Independence 66 14% 35 15%

471 100% 241 100%

African American children are more likely to have a goal of reunification, White children to have a goal of adoption.

*This table excludes children for whom permanency goals were missing or coded as “other”.


Is There Disparity in Permanency Achievement?

Peoria County

YES

In FY10, 125 African American children and 107 white children achieved permanency.

African American children and White children who were in care in FY10 left care at different rates, with White children more likely to leave care than African American children (White 38% & African American 24%)

White youth were much more likely than African American youth to exit via reunification (79% vs. 58%)

African American youth were much more likely than White youth to exit via adoption (40% vs. 20%)


Is There Disparity in Permanency Achievement Over Time?

Peoria County

Source: CFRC 2009

Is There Disparity in Permanency Achievement Over Time?

Peoria County

What is the “Bottom Line” on Disproportionality?

Peoria County

Are African American children more likely to be reported as neglected / abused than White children in Peoria County?

YESChildren in Peoria County are reported at very different rates,

with African American children reported at higher rates than their numbers in the population would predict.

In FY 10, AA children represented about 30% of the child population but 47% of the reported cases.


What is the “Bottom Line” on Disproportionality?

Peoria County

Once reported, are African American children more likely to be indicated than White children?

YESIn FY10 of all reports for African American children, 32%

were indicated.Of all reports for White children, 26% were indicated.


Peoria County

Once indicated do African American and White children enter care at similar rates?

NO

In FY10, African American children were more likely to enter care.

36% of African American children of those indicated entered care

22% of White children of those indicated entered care


What is the “Bottom Line” on Disparity?

Disparity

Peoria County

Are African American children less likely to have reunification as a goal than White children?

NO

However, in FY10 African American children are more likely to have a goal of reunification. White children are more likely to have a goal of adoption.

Are African American children less likely to exit care than White children?

YES

In FY10 24% of African American children in care achieved permanency compared to 38% of White children.


Disparity

Peoria County

Do African American children achieve permanency differently from White children?

YESIn FY10, White children who exited care were much

more likely to exit via reunification (79%) than African American children (58%).

African American children who exited care were more likely to exit via adoption (40%) than were White children (20%).


Disproportionality and Disparity: The Summary

Peoria County

African American children and youth are reported at higher rates than White children in Peoria County and these reports are more likely to be indicated.

African American children are more likely than White to children enter care once they are indicated.

Once in care, however, African American and White children have similar 12 month and 24 month rates of permanency achievement, particularly in recent years. However, the path to permanency is different.

However, in any given year there are many more African American youth in care, and fewer of them are likely to exit than are white children.

How can the following partners help us How can the following partners help us to bring about desired changes? to bring about desired changes? (Brainstorm together)(Brainstorm together) … Parents … Practitioners/Caseworkers … Court Personnel … Law enforcement … Business Leaders/Commerce community … Foster /Adoptive Parents … School staff … Faith Leaders … Law makers/legislators … Local Media … Medical providers … Higher education … Housing … TANF workers … Mental Health/Substance Abuse clinicians

How Can We Translate Awareness Into Action?

the permanency enhancement project: working together for change

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