African American Children In Foster Care: Additional HHS Assistance Needed to Help States Reduce the Proportion in Care
GAO-07-816
Published: Jul 11, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2007.
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Highlights
A significantly greater proportion of African American children are in foster care than children of other races and ethnicities, according to HHS and other research. Given this situation, GAO was asked to analyze the (1) major factors influencing the proportion of African American children in foster care, (2) extent that states and localities have implemented promising strategies, and (3) ways in which federal policies may have influenced African American representation in foster care. GAO's methodologies included a nationwide survey; a review of research and federal policies; state site visits; analyses of child welfare data; and interviews with researchers, HHS officials, and other experts.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| To assist states in increasing the number of homes available for the permanent placement of African American and other children from foster care, Congress may wish to consider amending federal law to allow federal reimbursement for legal guardianship similar to that currently provided for adoption. | In September 2008, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 was passed, then signed into law by the President on October 7, 2008 (P.L. 110-351). The Act permits states to claim federal reimbursement for guardianship assistance provided on behalf of eligible children who leave foster care for placement in a legal guardianship with a relative. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To enhance states' ability to reduce the proportion of African American children in foster care, the Secretary of HHS should further assist states in understanding the nature and extent of disproportionality in their child welfare systems and in taking steps to address the issue. These actions should include encouraging states to regularly track state and local data on the racial disproportionality of children in foster care and use these data to develop strategies that can better enable them to prevent children's entry into foster care and speed their exit into permanent homes. HHS should also encourage states to make increased use of HHS's National Resource Centers as a source of technical assistance on this issue. |
The Administration for Children and Families within HHS released a funding opportunity announcement in FY 2010 to solicit demonstration project proposals for states that supported the implementation and tested the effectiveness of innovative intervention strategies to improve permanency outcomes for a subset of children that have the most serious barriers to permanency. Two of the states that were awarded grants, Arizona and California, chose to focus on developing innovative strategies for moving African American children, who were disproportionately represented in their systems, to permanency faster. Ultimately, the goal of the funding stream is to develop or test these interventions so they can be highlighted as promising practices for use in other states' child welfare systems as well. In addition, as of July 2011, HHS reported that it had completed its Culturally Competent Practice Knowledge Initiative and makes available to states culturally competent information and support through the National Resource Centers funded by the Children's Bureau. Through the NRCS, the Children's Bureau continues to stress the importance of understanding cultural competency through the lens of its workforces, its community and the services it provides.
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| Department of Health and Human Services | To enhance states' ability to reduce the proportion of African American children in foster care, the Secretary of HHS should further assist states in understanding the nature and extent of disproportionality in their child welfare systems and in taking steps to address the issue. These actions should include completing and making publicly available information on disproportionality that the agency is developing under its Culturally Competent Practice Knowledge Initiative so that states have easier access to tools and strategies useful for addressing the issue. |
As of July 2011, HHS reported that it had completed its Culturally Competent Practice Knowledge Initiative and continues to make available to states culturally competent information and support through the National Resource Centers funded by the Children's Bureau. Through these resource centers, which provide technical and other assistance to states, the Children's Bureau continues to stress the importance of understanding cultural competency through the lens of its workforces, its community, and the services it provides. In FY10, HHS reported that its training and technical assistance in this area are ongoing.
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Topics
African AmericansChild welfareDisadvantaged personsFamiliesFederal aid to statesFederal fundsFederal legislationstate relationsFoster childrenPolicy evaluationState-administered programsFoster care