By V.S. Santoni
April is National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding children and supporting families. However, amidst the efforts to protect children, it’s crucial to address the systemic injustices embedded within the child welfare system, particularly concerning families of color.
The child welfare system, intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children, has a troubling history of perpetuating racial discrimination and unequal treatment, especially towards Black and Indigenous families. Shereen A. White, Director of Advocacy & Policy at Children’s Rights, aptly points out, “We cannot accept a system that is rooted in hate and oppresses the clients that we serve.”
Current policies often lead to the disproportionate removal of Black and Indigenous children from their homes, primarily on grounds of “neglect,” a category that frequently conflates poverty with abuse. This unjust practice results in these children being overrepresented in the foster care system, facing longer stays, and experiencing fewer opportunities for family reunification. Shockingly, Black parents are twice as likely to experience termination of their parental rights, exacerbating the cycle of separation and instability for families of color.
These disparities are not accidental but are rather the result of entrenched federal and state laws, regulations, and policies that perpetuate racial inequality within child-serving systems. Structural racism within the child welfare system creates a legal framework that facilitates the separation of Black and Indigenous children from their families, perpetuating intergenerational trauma and racial disparities.
As the U.S. observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month, it is imperative to acknowledge and confront the systemic injustices within the child welfare system. Every child deserves the right to a family, and it is incumbent to dismantle the structures that perpetuate racial disparities and ensure equity and justice for all families, regardless of race or ethnicity.
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