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The Race Matters Consortium web-site is made
possible, in part, by a grant from the Casey Alliance on Racial Equity. |
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History
The over representation of African-American children in substitute care is a
critical child welfare concern deserving attention throughout the country.
Westat,
Casey Family Programs, and
The Children and Family Research Center
(CFRC or the Center) have
worked together to spearhead the development of the Race Matters Consortium
(the Consortium), a national multi-system initiative to prevent and reduce racial
and ethnic disproportionality in the child welfare system. Currently, the focus
of this effort is to look closely at the phenomenon of overrepresentation of
African-American children in the child welfare system, disseminating research
findings, and developing a research agenda for unraveling the factors behind the
disproportionality phenomenon as well as looking at practices throughout the
country that serve to meet the needs of children of color appropriately. It is
striving to describe and understand the interacting facets of social dynamics and
public policy that are involved with over-representation and disproportionate
representation of ethnic minorities in child welfare systems nationwide.
The first organized effort of the Consortium occurred in January of 2001 when the
Center, in conjunction with Westat, hosted an
initial forum of 25 experts in the field of child welfare research to collectively
examine this complex topic by bringing together existing knowledge in the field and
identifying important research questions for future investigation. Concurrently,
Casey Family Programs was examining the
issue as well and joined the Center in support of expanding the national discussion.
In March 2002, the Center, Casey Family Programs and Westat
convened a second forum of fifty-six child welfare experts representing research,
policy, administration, practice and advocacy interests to discuss the experiences
of individuals of different races and ethnicities exposed to the child welfare
system. In September of 2003, the Consortium Coordinating Committee met to plan
for the upcoming phase of Consortium activity.
The administrative home of the Consortium is at Westat, made possible, in part,
with funding from the
Casey Alliance on Racial Equity. The Consortium is a collaboration of committed
organizations and individuals who voluntarily continue to examine the many
questions and issues raised in the prior discussions. The Race
Matters Consortium's current activities are comprised of several work groups that
meet by teleconference on a regular basis plus a coordination group under the
direction of Westat that meets by teleconference every four to six weeks. Efforts of the
Coordinating Committee are focused on development of a plan for formal membership
and on an implementation plan for Consortium goals, which include:
- developing and maintaining an
organizational structure to support the Consortium mission
- gaining a greater understanding of issues
that impact racial disproportionality
- creating a nationwide awareness of racial
and ethnic disproportionate representation and outcomes in the
child welfare system at multiple levels
- developing and advancing a legislative agenda to address racial and ethnic
disproportionate representation and outcomes in the child welfare system
Consortium members further bolster Consortium goals by contributing articles and
speaking at national child welfare conferences about the issues.
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