When families are struggling, the right supports and services can put them on a path of healing and provide new, safe and healthy ways of managing challenges. In many cases where abuse or neglect is suspected, families can successfully learn skills from professionals on effective ways to communicate and to support their children’s development and, when appropriate, receive treatment for mental or behavioral health issues. Nationally, the child welfare system has been shifting towards a more supportive approach, yet some practices continue to contribute to the overrepresentation of Black youth in substantiated cases. Differences in the frequency and quality of services provided to families by race can, in turn, shape case outcomes. Agency factors like disengagement from the community served, the agency’s organizational culture and infrastructure, policies or practices designed to address the needs of White families that have a different impact for families of color, and resource availability in different communities all can contribute to higher rates of substantiation among families of color.
CHILDREN IN SUBSTANTIATED INVESTIGATIONS BY RACE/ETHNICITY, SFY2020
Data source and notes: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Community Based Services. Data as of March 2021. Latinx ethnicity is treated as a racial group in this dataset. Data portrays an unduplicated count of children determined by DCBS to be victims of abuse, neglect, or dependency.