Carla M. Curtis

The Adoption of African American Children by Whites: A Renewed Conflict

During the turbulent 1960s and the civil-rights movement, African Americans called for the reexamination of major institutional policies. One of the policy changes demanded by African American social workers was the cessation of Whites adopting African American children. The view of the fledgling Association of Black Social Workers was that such practices would result in cultural genocide. This view influenced policy as family-court judges and child advocates pursued same-race adoption with respect to African American children. Some child advocates called the policy of excluding Whites from adopting African American children imprudent and discriminatory, and in the 1980s, judges began to rule in favor of White parents who wanted to adopt Black children. Legislation was introduced and signed into law that makes it illegal for states or agencies receiving federal funding to consider race in the adoption of children. This shift in policy has enraged many African American social workers and resulted in major disagreements between them and individuals who advocate for transracial adoptions. The author explores the arguments of each side and suggests policy recommendations.

Family preservation services and special populations: The Invisible Target.

Children of color are especially vulnerable for a devastating outcome as a result of their living environment and are disproportionately represented within the child welfare system. Social workers, who are trained to mitigate the effects of social injustice and societal inconsistencies, particularly among minorities and oppressed populations, perpetuate the injustices associated with the child welfare system by ignoring the special needs of children of color when administering family preservation services. The authors present results from a national study that examined the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of family preservation workers regarding the service criterion based on whether a family is part of a special population. Results indicate a significant bias against targeting family preservation services to children of color.

African American Children in the Child Welfare System: Requiem or Reform

The sobering statistics concerning the plight of African American children have become routine excerpts found in nearly every publication concerning the child welfare system. This article examines the laws that govern the child welfare system in this country and assesses the manner in which these laws do not rectify or prevent the poor outcomes experienced by African American children. The authors discuss a reform perspective, conceptualized in an oppression framework, as a call to action to improve the status of children in the child welfare system. This reform perspective is designed for educators, as they play a critical role in preparing students and practitioners to become reformers.

Correlates of African American Children In and Out of Their Families

Most African American children reside with their families but a large number do not due to placement in child protective services, the juvenile justice system, or in relative care. Social disorganization theory provides that societal change produces social disorganization, which may cause social problems. Some neighborhoods are better able to address problems than are others. In this study, the authors use social disorganization theory to understand the separation of African American children from their families. The U.S. Census Bureau (2000a) defines census tracts as similar to neighborhoods. An evaluation of 263 neighborhoods in Franklin County, Ohio, found moderate support for social disorganization theory in that 11 of 19 demographic variables were significantly correlated with whether African American children lived with their families or elsewhere. A perceptive analysis shows that lower percentages of demographic variables are significantly correlated with children remaining in their homes.

Factors Influencing Parents' Perceptions of Child Care Services. Implications for Public Policy Formulation:

Child care is a vital resource for children and their families regardless of income, race, or family composition. In a recent study published by The National League of Cities (Meyers & Kyle, 1996), child care was identified by government officials in cities and towns of 10,000 or more residents as the most pressing need of families with children. Each year more and more mothers, especially those with young children, enter the workforce (Hofferth & Chaplin, 1994a). In 1992, approximately 57% of women in the United States worked or were looking for work (Hofferth & Chaplin, 1994a). Finding and paying for high-quality child care are daily concerns as many parents struggle to keep their families together and to help their children acquire the skills necessary for a successful life. Public policies that help mothers work or return to work soon after childbirth are often designed to reduce the costs of caring for children and balancing work and family life. Poor, single, and low-income mothers are less likely to have the support and resources for child care to enable an early return to work (Hofferth & Chaplin, 1994a; Meyers, 1992); for these women, subsidized child care services in Head Start, public-school-based, or other sponsored nonprofit programs are directly related to economic self-sufficiency (Hofferth & Chaplin, 1994a).