Date of Award
4-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Patrick Donnay
Abstract
Racial disparities continue to persist in the child welfare system, resulting in disproportionate representation and differential treatment for children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Understanding the root causes, systemic factors, biases, and consequences of these disparities is vital for discovering solutions to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all children. I synthesize existing research conducted on racial disparities in child welfare, delving into systemic factors, biases, and their consequences. The dataset I most utilized is from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN). Correlation analysis was used to show the relationship between racial disproportionality and systematic factors such as teen pregnancy rates, minimum wages, and education levels. The study revealed weak to moderate correlations between socioeconomic factors and racial disproportionality. Higher teen pregnancy and lower minimum wage rates correlated with increased disproportionality among African American and Native American children. Higher education levels were linked to lower disproportionality among African American children, with mixed results for other racial groups. These results confirm the ongoing challenge of achieving equality in foster care and child welfare and highlights the urgency for solutions and interventions addressing socioeconomic disparities to mitigate racial disproportionality in the child welfare system.
Recommended Citation
Gallardo, Isabella, "Analyzing the Intersectionality of Race and Socioeconomics in Foster Care and Child Welfare" (2024). Political Science Theses and Capstones. 137.
https://pines.bemidjistate.edu/capstone-polisci/137
Included in
African American Studies Commons, American Politics Commons, Asian American Studies Commons, Chicana/o Studies Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Law and Race Commons, Native American Studies Commons, Public Administration Commons, Public Affairs Commons, Public Policy Commons, Puerto Rican Studies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Statistics Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Welfare Law Commons, Social Work Commons
