Greetings and Happy New Year from the Children and Family Research Center!
This issue of our newsletter focuses on our recent work related to racial disproportionality in the child welfare system. This topic has been an area of focused inquiry at the CFRC for a number of years, and we have several new projects that will hopefully add a data-driven perspective to the existing conversations that are happening throughout the state. To highlight our work in this area, we have added a new section to the CFRC website where all of our reports, presentations, and news related to racial disproportionality can be found. We welcome feedback and discussion on any of these products and look forward to engaging with many of you in 2023!
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CFRC Director Appointed by Governor Pritzker to Serve on Advisory Commission
Continuing her efforts to improve conditions for children in foster care, Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) Director Tamara Fuller was recently appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to sit on the Advisory Commission on Reducing the Disproportionate Representation of African American Children in Foster Care. This Advisory Commission, created through legislative mandate, will advise Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly, and work directly with State agencies to identify the factors that contribute to the over-representation of African American children in foster care. The Advisory Commission will also collaborate with State agencies and other social services organizations to develop effective strategies, policies, services, and programs that are aimed at providing African American children and their families with the resources and preventive services they need to avoid entry into the child welfare system.
Within the Advisory Commission, Dr. Fuller is a member of the sub-committee that is focused on examining DCFS services to impact prevention and reduce the length of stay for African American children in foster care. As part of her role on the Advisory Commission, Dr. Fuller has presented findings from the Children and Family Research Center’s annual report that examines racial disproportionality in the Illinois child welfare system at six critical decision points. The presentation and the full report are available on the CFRC website under Racial Disproportionality.
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New CFRC Report Addresses Racial Disproportionality
In addition to her work on the Advisory Commission, Dr. Fuller is leading the CFRC’s efforts on a new project that aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of racial inequities within the Illinois child welfare system. House Bill 2914 was passed in 2021 and requires the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to produce an annual report that examines disproportionality among racial groups on numerous parts of the child welfare system including investigations, protective custodies, court screenings, entries into foster care, length of time spent in foster care, and exits to reunification, adoption, and guardianship. (20 ILCS 505/41.5; Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes (ilga.gov) The results of this report, which are due in December of each year, will be used by DCFS and the legislators who sponsored the bill to pinpoint specific areas where disproportionality is greatest and develop targeted interventions to reduce them. The inaugural report is available on the CFRC website.Racial Disproportionality in the Illinois Child Welfare System: FY2022 Report in Response to HB2914
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Dr. Fuller appointed to Bias-Free Child Removal Pilot Program Steering Committee
Dr. Fuller was appointed to the Steering Committee on the Bias-Free Child Removal Pilot Program. Members of the Steering Committee are tasked with developing and implementing a 3-year Bias-Free Removal Pilot Program that will “promote unbiased decision making in the child removal process, while maintaining the safety of children and reducing risk, with the goal of decreasing the over-representation of Black children in out-of-home placements. This goal would be achieved by convening a group of senior-level internal staff members from the Department of Children and Family Services who are from an area other than the pilot area to (i) review removal decisions, absent specific demographic information and (ii) determine whether removal of a child is necessary to avoid imminent risk to the child's safety, health, and well-being” (P.A. 102-1087). The Steering Committee began meeting in January 2023 and will develop the pilot program by January 1, 2024. In addition to serving on the Steering Committee, Dr. Fuller will lead the CFRC in developing and implementing an evaluation of the Bias-Free Child Removal Program.
“The Children and Family Research Center is committed to using our research and evaluation findings to advance racial equity within the child welfare system,” said Dr. Fuller. “Interest in our work on disproportionality has significantly increased in the past two years, and there is a new sense of urgency to advance the work forward in meaningful ways. The CFRC stands ready to work in partnership with policymakers, agency staff, and community members to eradicate systemic bias and ensure that equitable policies and practices are in place that allow all children, youth, and families to thrive.”
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New Research Project Examines Disparities in Subsidized Guardianship
When children are removed from their home because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children.
CFRC researchers Dr. Ted Cross and Dr. Cady Landa of CFRC were part of a team conducting research on subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member, such as a grandmother or aunt, typically becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents retain many of their parental rights. This was a team effort between CFRC, the Translational Research Team of DCFS’ Office of Research and Child Well-Being, and a group of students and volunteers from the School of Social Work who collaborated on conducting and analyzing research interviews. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program; and by funding by DCFS to the Translational Research Team of the Office of Research and Child Well-Being.
This study collected interview and survey data from both permanency professionals and from caregivers who have at least one Black child in substitute care with the goal of becoming that child’s permanent caregiver. The team recently completed a research brief highlighting 10 key findings from the interviews and survey with professionals (See Exploring the Role of Guardianship in Effective and Equitable Permanency.pdf). In the coming months, the research team will be producing a series of reports, presentations, and research briefs. In the coming months, the research team will be producing a series of reports, presentations, and additional research briefs.
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New Data Analysts join CFRC! |
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Ethan has lived in Urbana, Illinois for most of his life. He earned his B.S. in Software Engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology.
Cloud Infrastructure Design, Software Development, Data Analytics
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Dr. Amanda Kelley joined the CFRC data team in January 2023. She received bachelor's degrees in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of California - San Diego in 2015. In 2022, she received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her dissertation used experimental studies and computational models to explain how humans learn linguistic patterns through speaking.
Dr. Kelley's research interests include using machine learning to understand human behavior, and best practices in statistics and experimental design.
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The dates for the 2023 CQI Conference are October 11 & 12.
For more information see the
CQI Conference website.
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Follow the School of Social Work on Twitter @UofISocialWork or like the School on Facebook.
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