Factors related to the disproportionate involvement of children of color in the child welfare system: a review and emerging themes

There exists a little research on children of color in the child welfare system (CWS) and most of what we know focuses on provision of child welfare services and system-related outcomes rather than the processes that lead to these outcomes-how families and children of color become and stay involved. Rather than one primary cause, there appear to be numerous interrelated factors associated with the disproportionate rates of involvement of children of color in the CWS. This review focuses on four areas: (1) parent and family-related risk factors and CWS involvement; (2) social factors related to poverty, neighborhood effects and other community-related predictors of children of color entering and staying in the CWS; (3) race and class biases in initial reporting and subsequent processing of children in the CWS, and (4) the impact of recent child welfare policy initiatives on children of color. Limitations of the current body of literature on children of color in the CWS are presented as well as emerging themes and areas for further inquiry. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.