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Examining Racial Disproportionality in Child Protective Services Case Decisions
Sarah A Font1, Lawrence M Berger, Kristen S Slack
1University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social Work, 1350 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706. Institute for Research on Poverty, 1180 Observatory Dr. Madison, WI 53706.
Children and Youth Services Review
|September 18, 2012
Summary
Racial disparities in child protective services (CPS) investigations are primarily driven by case factors, not differential treatment. Addressing risk factors disproportionately affecting Black families may reduce disparities more effectively than cultural competence training.
Area of Science:
- Child Welfare Research
- Sociology of Race and Inequality
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Racial disparities persist in child protective services (CPS) investigations in the United States.
- Understanding the root causes of these disparities is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine racial differences in CPS outcomes between Black and White families.
- To differentiate the impact of case characteristics versus potential differential treatment by caseworkers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a national sample of 1,461 CPS investigations.
- Employed difference-in-difference and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods.
- Analyzed caseworker ratings of risk, harm, and substantiation for maltreatment.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in CPS outcomes by child race after adjusting for case characteristics.
- Black caseworkers were more likely to rate Black children at higher risk and substantiate Black families compared to White caseworkers.
- Decomposition analysis indicated case characteristics, not differential treatment, primarily explained racial outcome gaps.
Conclusions:
- Racial disparities in CPS involvement are largely explained by differences in family and case circumstances.
- Interventions targeting maltreatment risk factors disproportionately affecting Black families may be more effective than cultural competence training.
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