Child Welfare: Ethnic/Racial Disproportionality and Disparity

CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley

Child Welfare:Ethnic/Racial Disproportionality and

Disparity

Barbara Needell, MSW, PhDCenter for Social Services ResearchUniversity of California at Berkeley

Association for Public Policy Analysis and ManagementLos Angeles, CA

The Performance Indicators Project at CSSR is supported by the California Department of Social Services and the Stuart Foundation


2007

California: Ethnicity and Path through the Child Welfare System

(Missing Values & Other Race Excluded from % Calculations, <18 years of Age)

6.2

32.7

50.4

10.30.5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


2007



6.214.9

32.7

28.6

50.4

10.3

51.8

3.90.80.5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Allegations

(492,810)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


2007



6.214.9 14.6

32.7

28.6 27.3

50.452.8

10.3

51.8

4.13.9 1.20.80.5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Allegations

(492,810)

Substantiations

(107,372)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


2007



6.214.9 14.6 18.6

32.7

28.6 27.326.2

50.452.8

10.3

50.151.8

3.54.13.9 1.61.20.80.5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Allegations

(492,810)

Substantiations

(107,372)

Entries

(36,011)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


2007



6.214.9 14.6 18.6

26.3

32.7

28.6 27.326.2

25.3

50.452.8

10.3

50.151.844.6

3.54.13.9 2.4 1.41.61.20.80.5

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Allegations

(492,810)

Substantiations

(107,372)

Entries

(36,011)

I n Care

(72,199)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


2007



6.214.9 14.6 18.6

26.318.6

32.7

28.6 27.326.2

25.3

27.3

50.452.8 49.7

10.33.0

44.651.8 50.1

2.43.9 4.1 3.50.5 0.8 1.2 1.6 1.4 1.4

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Allegations

(492,810)

Substantiations

(107,372)

Entries

(36,011)

I n Care

(72,199)

Exits

(32,541)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black


Definitions…

• Disproportionality: when a group makes up a proportion of those experiencing some event that is higher or lower than that group’s proportion of the population

• Disparity: a comparison of one group (e.g, regarding disproportionality, services, outcomes) to another group


6.218.6

32.7

26.2

50.4

10.3

50.1

3.50.5 1.6

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population

(10,007,501)

Entries

(36,011)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black

Black Disproportionality18.6%6.2%

= 3.0

2007

California: Disparity Index

Entry Disparity (relative to overall population)

White Disproportionality26.2%32.7% = 0.8

Disparity Index

3.0 0.8

= 3.7


26.318.6

25.3

27.3

44.6

2.4

49.7

3.0 1.41.4

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I n Care

(72,199)

Exits

(32,541)

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black

Black Disproportionality18.6%26.3%

= 0.7

2007

California: Disparity Index

Exit Disparity (relative to in care population)

White Disproportionality27.3%25.3% = 1.1

Disparity Index

0.7 1.1

= 0.6


Disparity Matrix: Indices (view 1)


Disparity Matrix: Indices (view 2)


0.66

0.90

1.03

1.19

5.46

3.75

1.14

0.29

3.73

4.11

1.24

0.42

2.83

2.83

1.26

0.48

2.75

1.93

1.18

0.43

Allegations

Substantiated

Entries

I n Care

Exits

Native American

Hispanic

Asian/PI

1.00

2007

California: Racial Disparity Indices

(group compared to White)

Underrepresented

Overrepresented

Black


Disparity Index Adjustments: the Weighted Risk Ratio

• When comparing the disparity of one group compared to all other groups in localities within a state an adjustment is required. Why? The level of disparity is driven in part by the underlying racial composition of the locality.

• Nancy Rolock at the Children and Family Research Center (University of Illinois) has proposed the use of a weighted risk ratio (drawn from use in education developed by Westat), that weights the ratios by the overall racial composition of the state. More to come—(312) 641-2505 ext. 24 [email protected]

• The adjustment is not required when comparing one group to another distinct group.


CSSR.BERKELEY.EDU/UCB_CHILDWELFARENeedell, B., Webster, D., Armijo, M., Lee, S., Dawson, W., Magruder, J., Exel, M., Glasser, T., Williams, D., Zimmerman, K., Simon, V., Putnam-Hornstein, E., Frerer, K., Ataie, Y., Winn, A., Blumberg, R., & Cuccaro-Alamin, S. (2008).

Barbara [email protected]

510.642.1893510.290.6334 (pcs)

Documents

Child Welfare: Ethnic/Racial Disproportionality and Disparity