CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley Black/White and...

CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley

Black/White and Black/Hispanic Racial Disparity in Child Welfare:

Controlling for Poverty Statusand

Findings from Linkages to Birth Record Data

Barbara Needell, PhD, MSWEmily Putnam-Hornstein, PhD, MSWCenter for Social Services Research University of California at Berkeley

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the California Department of Social Services, the Stuart Foundation, & Casey Family Programs


poverty data

• 2005-2010 estimates of the population of children (ages 0-17) living in poverty by race/ethnicity

• using the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005-2009 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, poverty multipliers were calculated by race/ethnicity for California and each of its 58 counties

• multiplier applied to the California Department of Finance Population Estimates for the years 2005-2010http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare/population.aspx

http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare/population.aspx


why are people poor? *2010 Estimates of CA Children in Poverty • Black 28%• White 8%• Hispanic 26%• Asian/PI 11%• Native American 25%

* http://www.pisab.org/




definitionsdisproportionality: when a group makes up a proportion of those

experiencing some event that is higher or lower than that group’s proportion of the population

disparity: a comparison of one group (e.g, regarding disproportionality, services, outcomes) to another group

population in poverty: disproportionality calculated using the population of children in poverty rather than the general population (census)


%%

white

black

disproportionality disparity

% %

% %

Ratio

white

black


Population (9,989,397)

Entries (30,442)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

5.918.9

31.5

27.0

51.4

50.2

10.72.70.5 1.2

California: General Population Disparity Index

Entry Disparity (relative to overall population)

Native American

Asian/PI

Hispanic

White

Black

Black Disproportionality 18.9% 5.9% = 3.21

White Disproportionality 27.0% 31.5% = 0.86

Hispanic Disproportionality 50.2% 51.4% = 0.98

Black vs. White Disparity Index 3.21 0.86 = 3.74

Black vs. Hispanic Disparity Index 3.21 0.98 = 3.29


Black Disproportionality 18.9% 9.0% = 2.11

White Disproportionality 27.0% 13.7% = 1.97

Hispanic Disproportionality 50.2% 70.2% = 0.72

Black vs. White Disparity Index 2.11 1.97 = 1.07

Black vs. Hispanic Disparity Index 2.11 0.72 = 2.95



data• Unique dataset constructed by linking children reported for

maltreatment during the first five years of life to their birth record– state CWS/CMS records linked to vital birth records– probabilistic methods (84% of child welfare records matched)

• 530,843 children born alive in CA in 2002– 14% reported for maltreatment (N=74,182)– 6% substantiated as a victims (N=27,805)– 0.8% entered foster care (N=4,388)

• Racial disparities?– examined aggregate Black vs. White and Black vs. Hispanic disparity

across decision points– estimated child level risk at each decision point, after adjusting for

other risk factors


why are people poor? *

* http://www.pisab.org/


racial disparities…across all decision points

2.25

N=74,182

2.46

N=27,805

2.55

N=4,388Referral Disparities Substantiation Disparities Entry Disparities

95% Confidence Interval Black vs. White RR

Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

sca

le)

California's 2002 Birth CohortBlack vs. White Disparities


2.10

N=74,182 N=27,805

2.61

3.21

N=4,388Referral Disparities Substantiation Disparities Entry Disparities

95% Confidence Interval Black vs. Hispanic Risk Ratio

Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)California's 2002 Birth Cohort

Black vs. Hispanic Disparities


the problem with summary statistics:

The average human has one breast and one testicle. *

* ~Des McHale www.quotegarden.com/statistics.html


what is hidden beneath the summary statistics?

• Significant racial variations in the presence of risk factors that are associated with disparities…

• In multivariate models, we adjusted for twelve sociodemographic and biomedical risk factors for contact with child protective services:

• child’s sex (n.s.), low birth weight, birth abnormality, prenatal care, maternal birth place, maternal race/ethnicity, birth payment method, maternal age, maternal education, abortion history, paternity information, birth order

• Significant interactions between a number of covariates and Medi-Cal coverage led us to stratify models


2.25

1.15 1.10

0.91

2.62

1.47

Full Birth Cohort Medi-Cal Non Medi-Cal

crude

adj*crude

adj*

crude

adj*

Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)


*includes adjustments for other risk factors at birthCalifornia's 2002 Birth Cohort

Black vs. White Referral Disparities

N=530,843 N=226,904 N=302,259


2.46

0.99 1.03

0.78

3.03

1.41

crude

adj* crude

adj*

crude

adj*

Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)



Black vs. White Substantiation Disparities

N=530,843 N=226,904 N=302,259Full Birth Cohort Medi-Cal Non Medi-Cal


2.55

0.971.07

0.79

3.64

1.39

crude

adj*

crude

adj*

crude

adj*

Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)



Black vs. White Foster Care Entry Disparities

N=530,843 N=226,904 N=302,259Full Birth Cohort Medi-Cal Non Medi-Cal


2.10

1.46

2.45

1.35

1.89

1.60

crude

adj*

crude

adj*

crude

adj*


Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)

95% Confidence Interval Black vs. Hispanic RR


Black vs. Hispanic Referral Disparities

N=530,843 N=266,904 N=302,259


2.61

1.51

3.30

1.38

2.18

1.70

crude

adj*

crude

adj*

crude

adj*


Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)



Black vs. Hispanic Substantiation Disparities

N=530,843 N=266,904 N=302,259


3.21

1.49

3.95

1.37

2.65

1.75

crude

adj*

crude

adj*

crude

adj*


Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)



Black vs. Hispanic Foster Care Entry Disparities

N=530,843 N=266,904 N=302,259


1.15

0.99 0.970.91

0.78 0.79

1.47 1.41 1.39

full cohortreferral

disparity

full cohortsubst.

disparity

full cohortentry

disparity

medi-calreferral

disparity

medi-calsubst.

disparity

medi-calentry

disparity

nonmedi-calreferral

disparity

nonmedi-cal

subst.disparity

nonmedi-cal

entrydisparity


Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)after adjusting for other risk factors at birthCalifornia's 2002 Birth Cohort

Black vs. White Disparities


1.46 1.51 1.491.35 1.38 1.37

1.601.70 1.75

full cohortreferral

disparity

full cohortsubst.

disparity

full cohortentry

disparity

medi-calreferral

disparity

medi-calsubst.

disparity

medi-calentry

disparity

nonmedi-calreferral

disparity

nonmedi-cal

subst.disparity

nonmedi-cal

entrydisparity


Risk

Rati

os(p

lott

ed o

n lo

garit

hmic

scal

e)after adjusting for other risk factors at birth

California's 2002 Birth CohortBlack vs. Hispanic Disparities


conclusions from data

• summary statistics indicating disparities mask large covariate effects

• Black/White disparity is not present (and even) reversed for lower income children/ mothers

• Black/Hispanic disparity is diminished but remains for lower income children/mothers


more questions than answers…

• Are the service needs of Black, Hispanic, and White children and families being addressed?

• Are “thresholds” the same for Black, Hispanic, and White children and families?

• What are the appropriate rates for Black, Hispanic, and White children (and children of other race/ethnicities)?


Needell, B., Webster, D., Armijo, M., Lee, S., Dawson, W., Magruder, J., Exel, M., Cuccaro-Alamin, S., Putnam-Hornstein, E., Williams, D., Simon, V., Hamilton, D., Lou, C., Peng, C., Moore, M., Jacobs, L., & King, B. (2011). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. Retrieved 7/4/2011, from University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research website. URL: http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare.

Questions? [email protected]

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