Abstract
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.
Highlights
Black children are entering child welfare system at a rate five times higher than that of the average Canadian population (Polanyi et al, 2014)
One of the principle issues of concern for the profession of social work is the welfare of children
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 the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (Polanyi et al, 2014)
Summary
One of the principle issues of concern for the profession of social work is the welfare of children. While child welfare agencies have a list of criteria that warrant the removal of a child from their home, there are incidences when the initial decisions to apprehend are left largely to the discretion of individual child welfare workers and their supervisors. This is what is known as gray areas. Ontario’s child welfare agencies have come under fire for racial disparities within their agencies, such as the over-representation of Black and Aboriginal children in the care of the child welfare system (Ontario Association Children Aid Societies, 2015; Polanyi et al, 2014). I often wonder if my mother was provided the proper resources and supports by the child welfare system. My findings reveal how race and racism play a role in the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario’s child welfare systems
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