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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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:
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