The Overrepresentation Of African American Children Essay

The Overrepresentation of African American Children in the Child Welfare System The overrepresentation of African American children in the foster care system is a major issue in the United States. African American children only represent about fourteen percent of the child population in the United States, yet represents for thirty percent of the children in the foster care system (Lorthridge, 2011). Ards (2012) stated that African American children are one and a half times more likely to be involved with child protective services and two times more likely to be placed in an out-of-home placement compared to any other race. Being a minority in a country, but the majority in an institution, such as foster care, is a significant problem. Not only is the overrepresentation of African American children a matter of question, but their experience while in foster care is concerning as well. African American children are overrepresented at every aspect in the foster care system and the numbers are not decreasing. According to Anyon (2011), African American children are o verrepresented at every stage/decision point in the foster care system. The five stages are known as the five key decision points, which are, report of abuse and/or neglect, referral of report for investigation, reunification, out-of-home placement and termination of parental rights, and exiting the foster care system (Harris, 2008). From 2000-2009, the foster care system costed an estimate of eighty-five billionShow MoreRelatedDisproportionality Researching the Overrepresentation of Minority Students in Special Education3097 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction This paper focuses on the overrepresentation or over-identification of minority students found in special education in our schools. 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