Comparing service providers and youth advice on coordinated service delivery in Ontario's child welfare system.

ABSTRACTFor youth in the child welfare system, relationships can be a catalyst for change and resilience. Child welfare workers are responsible for caring for youth, ensuring their permanency, and—wherever possible—maintaining relationships between youth and their families. Unfortunately, not all youth feel supported during their time in out‐of‐home care (OOHC). For black youth, research has begun to document the challenges and disparities they face while in the child welfare system. Given the adversities that black youth and families face across the child welfare continuum, there is a need to investigate the interactions between child welfare workers and black youth. This study explores the narratives of 27 black youth with lived experience navigating OOHC in Ontario's child welfare system and their relationships with child welfare workers. Three main narratives emerged: 1) the impacts of worker instability and unavailability; 2) the need for transparency, safety, and youth voice in decision‐making; and 3) what relationships meant to black youth and how they can be strengthened. Recommendations include maintaining transparency and inclusion in decision‐making, addressing factors that impact workers' capacity to build meaningful relationships, training focused on the impacts of anti‐black racism, and supporting black youth in building relationships with their families.

Addressing the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system: insights from child welfare workers and community service providers

Understanding the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system: Perspectives from child welfare workers and community service providers

Comparing Service Providers and Youth Advice on Coordinated Service Delivery in Ontario's Child Welfare System

Black children are entering child welfare system at a rate five times higher than that of the average Canadian population (Polanyi et al., 2014). There are approximately 539, 205 (8% of the population) Black individuals living in Ontario, yet Black children make up 41% of the children in the care of Children’s Aid Society (Polanyi et al., 2014). The disproportionate apprehension of marginalized children is not a new issue; it is only recently that child welfare organizations have acknowledged that this is an issue. This prompted some agencies to release disaggregated race-based data outlining racial disparities. This phenomenological qualitative research study intends to highlight the stories of two Black parents who have had an ongoing relationship with Ontario’s child welfare system. This research hopes to outline their similarities, differences and the intricate experiences. Their experiences will be examined through a critical lens guided by anti-black racism and critical race theory.

Black children are entering child welfare system at a rate five times higher than that of the average Canadian population (Polanyi et al., 2014). There are approximately 539, 205 (8% of the population) Black individuals living in Ontario, yet Black children make up 41% of the children in the care of Children’s Aid Society (Polanyi et al., 2014). The disproportionate apprehension of marginalized children is not a new issue; it is only recently that child welfare organizations have acknowledged that this is an issue. This prompted some agencies to release disaggregated race-based data outlining racial disparities. This phenomenological qualitative research study intends to highlight the stories of two Black parents who have had an ongoing relationship with Ontario’s child welfare system. This research hopes to outline their similarities, differences and the intricate experiences. Their experiences will be examined through a critical lens guided by anti-black racism and critical race theory.

The absence of language: A critical race discourse analysis of Ontario's child welfare legislation and the impacts on Black families

Introduction to the Topic The disproportionality and disparity faced by Black children and youth in the child welfare system are now well-documented and visible in public discourse, along with explanations for these phenomena (Clarke, Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 2, 2011, Journal of Progressive Human Services, 23, 3, 2012; Dunbar & Barth, 2007; Fallon et al., 2015; Gosine & Pon, Journal of Progressive Human Services, 22, 2, 2010; Hill, 2006, 2007; Pon, Gosine, & Phillips, International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 3 & 4, 2011; Roberts, Shattered bonds: The color of child welfare. New York, NY: Civitas Books, 2002; Stahmer et al., 2005; Teklu, Canada’s forgotten children: Written submissions to the committee on the rights of the child on the third and fourth reports of Canada. Toronto, ON: African Canadian Legal Clinic, 2012). This chapter explores the factors that are hidden behind the disproportionate numbers and considers the mental health impact of child removal on Black children, youth, and families in Ontario. It draws on the literature and our professional experiences to explore the impact of removal on Black children, youth, and families in Ontario’s child welfare system.

Involvement in the Child Welfare System Among Mothers With Serious Mental Illness

The overrepresentation of First Nations children in the Ontario child welfare system: A call for systemic change

The child welfare system has a responsibility for maintaining young people’s safety and permanency when they are taken from their guardians. Many young people living in out-of-home care (OOHC) experience placement instability, which can negatively impact their development. The overrepresentation of Black families in the child welfare system has also been a longstanding issue across North America, where Black families are more likely to be involved with the child welfare system, receive poorer quality of placements, remain in care longer, and are less likely to reunify with their families. Given the known negative impacts of placement instability and the disparities experienced by Black families, these concerns may be more urgent for Black youth in care. This article shares the findings from a qualitative narrative analysis conducted on 27 interviews with Black Caribbean youth who have lived experiences navigating OOHC in Ontario’s child welfare system. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and Anti-Black Racism Theory as theoretical frameworks, three main narratives were identified: (1) difficult behaviors during placement transitions; (2) disposability; and (3) a pursuit of safety and belonging. These narratives capture the phenomenon of Black youth navigating placement instability in OOHC. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

Black youth have consistently reported that when they are transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) into independence, they are not supported or included in decision-making, and they feel isolated and vulnerable as they face an uncertain future. Previous research has documented the ways in which Black youths’ experiences in care are characterized by unpredictability and loss, but then care ends—and they continue to struggle. For Black youth in care, this transition can be exceptionally difficult as they are contending with the additional strain of doing so within the child welfare system and larger social context characterized by a loss of community and the persistence of anti-Black racism. Presently, there are no empirical studies in Ontario that investigate Black youth’s narratives transitioning from OOHC; this manuscript seeks to fill this gap in knowledge. Employing Adultification and Anti-Black Racism Theory as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative study investigated the narratives of 27 Black youth with lived experiences navigating OOHC in Ontario’s child welfare system. This study utilized narrative inquiry as a methodological approach. Three main narratives were identified: (1) the need for finances and a financial literacy; (2) narratives of aging out and (3) the challenges of navigating funding. To better support Black youth in their transition out of care and in independent living, recommendations for policy and practice include earlier transitional support, ensuring youth have a practical understanding of financial literacy, and educating youth about resources and their rights.

Dual system youth and their pathways in Los Angeles County: A replication of the OJJDP Dual System Youth Study

ABSTRACT: This essay considers the historical and current relationship between the child welfare system and Black families and its effect on the lives of Black children, with a focus on the minimal attention that is given to their racial, ethnic, and cultural needs once placed in foster care. It explores the importance of understanding how Black foster youth navigate the experiences of racial socialization and ethnic identity. This essay specifically focuses on Black girls and through a sociohistorical overview of the importance of Black hair in America, I address the connection between socialization and hair and haircare perceptions and experiences of Black foster girls. Based on critical analysis of research that highlights the potential for unfavorable outcomes, I address the level of responsibility that the child welfare system has to Black youth and emphasize that prioritizing the cultural needs of Black youth is paramount to the development of a healthy sense of self. Finally, I call for the child welfare system to consider multiple perspectives and engage in multiple dialogues when considering how to best support Black youth in care and provide supportive conditions for them to thrive.

When home reminds me of jail: The carceral nature of out-of-home care for Black youth in Ontario’s child welfare system