Abstract
Racial Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Perspectives
APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo
Background:
In Florida, there is a disproportional number of Black children within the Child Welfare System. The purpose of this study is to identify stakeholder perceptions as issues perpetuating disproportionate removal of Black children, as well identifying opportunities and steps to be taken which could potentially address this disparity.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, qualitative survey was sent to a key group of stakeholders (n=40) of the child welfare system (CWS) in Hillsborough County. These included employees of the CWS, families and parents which have been engaged with the CWS, and representatives from community and faith organizations. Through snowball sampling, the initial participants shared the survey with others in their network for a total of 101 participants. The research team used MaxQDA (2020) to code and analyze participant responses. Thematic analysis was reviewed, and consensus reached by two independent coders.
Results:
Key themes included: systemic racism (issue), equitable policy reform (opportunity), and creating a racial equity coalition (next step). Other themes described the impact of systemic racism on family stability, opportunities for providing structural support to vulnerable communities, and the importance of enabling impacted families to participate in the proposed coalition.
Discussion:
Findings were disseminated to community partners and stakeholders for the purposes of planning, pursuing community funding opportunities, and developmental advocacy. Hillsborough County, and some other Florida counties, are undergoing major changes to the CWS. The perspectives gathered from stakeholders can foster discussion, broaden awareness, and assist in advocacy planning during this challenging transitional process.