Happy Black History Month! This year, CASA of Travis County is highlighting disproportionality in the child welfare system. Let’s take the time to acknowledge the history of Black History Month and how important it is to recognize the Black experience in our work. CASA is dedicated to advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect in courts and providing facts about disproportionality in the child welfare system. Biases, stereotypes, and a lack of cultural understanding have created an environment for reporting without a trauma-informed approach.
CASA is dedicated to advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect in courts and providing facts about disproportionality in the child welfare system. Biases, stereotypes, and a lack of cultural understanding have created an environment for reporting without a trauma-informed approach.
Established in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Black History Month began as a week-long celebration of Black culture and history. The massive response to this idea led to a demand for more Black literature and culture in schools and communities across the nation. Fifty years later, in 1976, President Gerald Ford extended the celebration of contributions made by African Americans to the full month of February. To honor the tradition set by the ASALH, this Black History Month, we will focus on disproportionality in the child welfare system.
In the early days of Black History Month, Woodson began providing an annual theme to help the public focus their attention on the culture, stories, history, and achievements of African Americans. The ASALH has released a theme each year to illustrate changes in how people of African descent in the United States view themselves, the effects of social movements on racial ideologies, and the ambitions of the Black community.
The theme for 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts.” African American art synthesizes the Caribbean, African, and Black-American experiences. Celebrating the contributions of African American artists brings attention to the past and present while also spotlighting expectations for the future. That interest in the future gave rise to Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism is the name for artistic and cultural productions that envision a future for Black people without oppressive systems and a strong fusion of technology and science with Black history and knowledge. The idea of Afrofuturism compliments current efforts in the child welfare system to address disproportionality.
Nationally, Black children spend more time in foster care, and reunification with their families is about four times less likely than white children. For CASA of Travis County, 81% of Black children that closed a case in 2023 were reunified in their home of origin or adopted by a relative or fictive kin.
Through the lens of disproportionality, we can examine the experiences of Black children in the system and how CASA of Travis County advocates for their futures. Racial bias and disparities at critical decision-making points are responsible for the overreporting and higher investigation rates for Black families. In 2023, African American children made up 25% of total children served by CASA of Travis County. However, the 2020 Travis County census data shows that Black people only make up 9.4% of the population. Racial disparities also play a role in the treatment of Black children once they enter the system. Nationally, Black children spend more time in foster care, and reunification with their families is about four times less likely than white children. For CASA of Travis County, 81% of Black children that closed a case in 2023 were reunified in their home of origin or adopted by a relative or fictive kin.
CASA of Travis County embraces the work to address disproportionality, disparities, and inequities through training and education, community engagement, volunteer and staff recruitment, and analysis of data, including outcomes for children, through the lens of race and ethnicity. There is a long way to go, and we take this opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of history and culture in advocating for the best interest of every child we represent.
