Disrupt Institutional Racism in Child Welfare Systems

In the U.S., Black children represent 14% of the general population of children but make up 22% of children in foster care. A shocking 53% of Black children in the U.S. will be investigated as potential victims of child abuse by age 18, as compared to 37% of all children. This data reflects institutional racism and racist structures within child welfare systems. The result is the continued unnecessary surveillance, investigation, and removal of Black children from their families, frequently for issues of poverty rather than abuse or neglect.

I pledge to help end the unjust, unnecessary, and devastating surveillance, investigation, and removal of Black children from their families, which will dramatically reduce the number of children entering state foster care and prevent the lifelong trauma that systems impose on children, and especially on Black youth.

We must start by unequivocally naming institutional racism as a force at work in child welfare systems. Then we must take action to disrupt it!