The Children's Bureau (CB) is committed to addressing disproportionality and disparity in child welfare for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), Hispanic and Latino, and other impacted people of color; people who are LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or other gender or sexual identity); those who experience poverty; and other populations who historically have experienced disproportionality and disparity in the nation’s child welfare systems.
Disproportionality and disparity for children and youth of color is a concern in child welfare. Over 50 years of data demonstrate that Black, AI/AN, and other children of color are disproportionately represented and have disparate outcomes throughout the child welfare process, including in investigations, entry into out-of-home care, and exits from care.
CB has prioritized combating the adverse effects of disproportionality and disparities on these populations by using a lens of equity and intersectionality. Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how each person’s multiple identities (e.g., race, gender, sexuality) influence the way an individual experiences the world and is seen by the world. It requires recognizing we are all multifaceted people with multiple identities that affect the discrimination and privilege we experience.
CB has established four priority areas through which it wants to thread equity:
- Preventing children from coming into foster care
- Supporting kin caregivers
- Ensuring youth leave care with strengthened relationships, holistic supports, and opportunities
- Developing and enhancing the child welfare workforce
CB is dedicated to threading equity throughout child welfare, particularly by using data to help agencies know where to provide targeted, tailored services and increased access to federal funding addressing equity. This thread runs through the design and goals of several CB initiatives, such as round 4 of the Child and Family Services Reviews, the Annual Progress and Service Reports, and the Court Improvement Program.
CB has demonstrated the agency’s commitment to threading equity throughout child welfare through a variety of actions. For example, we sponsored the Equity in Action and Historical Trauma webinar series for Administration for Children and Families (ACF) staff as well as the "Threading Equity Throughout Child Welfare " episode of the Child Welfare Information Gateway Podcast Series.
Executive Orders
- Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
- Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals
- Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government
- Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce
Public Statements
- Equity in Action (ACF)
- Children’s Bureau Equity Public Statement (CB)
- Letter Regarding Child Support and Children in Foster Care (CB)
- Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation (White House)
- Advancing Equity and Inclusion Through the Child and Family Services Reviews (Spanish) (ACF)
The following sections provide an introduction to racial equity as well as equity for tribes, LGBTQIA2s+ individuals, and those with disabilities. They also showcase resources that highlight work being done to advance equity as well as provide additional information.
Racial Equity
Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare
| Race/ethnicity | General Populationa | Percentage of children in foster careb |
|---|---|---|
| Black/African American | 14% | 23% |
| Hispanic and Latino (of any race) | 19% | 22% |
| AI/AN | >1% | 2% |
A U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Quick facts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221
B Children’s Bureau. (2024). The AFCARS report: Preliminary FY 2022 estimates as of May 9, 2023 (30). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/afcars-report-30
Children and families from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, such as those who are Black, Hispanic and Latino, and AI/AN, can carry the weight of generations of trauma from the myriad injustices their communities have faced as a result of systemic racism. These families are disproportionally represented in child welfare and often face challenges when accessing and receiving the services they need to keep their families strong.
CB is addressing racial equity through partnerships with the community and others and the use of data to inform culturally responsive, targeted services. CB recognizes the gaps in diverse representation in child welfare leadership and is working toward training child welfare leaders of color and providing leadership opportunities to address racial and ethnic inequities on a larger scale.
Information Memorandums
- Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) Procurements; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) (Children's Bureau)
- National Call to Action on Racial Equity
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
This webinar promotes “Equity in Action: Prioritizing and Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities” (IM-IOAS-22-01). It features summaries of the Biden administration's actions, stories from parents, and ways individuals can advance equity.
Additional Resources
- Equitable Practice (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
- Racial Equity (Capacity Building Center for States)
- Racial Equity (National Child Welfare Workforce Institute)
- The Judicial, Court, and Attorney Measures of Performance (JCAMP) (Capacity Building Center for Courts)
Equity for Tribes
When working with AI/AN children and families, it is important to understand that this population is affected by unique intergenerational trauma. From the 1870s to 1930s, AI/AN children were removed from their homes—often without investigation of maltreatment or notice to their families or tribes—and sent to far-off boarding schools to be assimilated. This process separated families and endangered languages and traditions, and generations of AI/AN children transitioned into adulthood without the benefit of parenting or support from their families or tribes. The impact of this history has contributed to a great level of distrust, historical trauma, and unresolved grief and loss that continues to affect AI/AN families and the ways in which federal, state, and local governments and tribes interact. Today, AI/AN children are overrepresented in foster care. Although AI/AN individuals make up 1 percent of the general population , they comprise 2 percent of children in foster care.
The United States has a unique legal and political relationship with Indian tribal governments, established through and confirmed by the Constitution of the United States, treaties, statutes, Executive orders, and judicial decisions. It is important to support and respect the sovereign rights of AI/AN populations to govern themselves. Tribal sovereignty includes federal recognition and protections, which allow tribes to honor and preserve their cultures and traditional ways of life. Additionally, the Indian Child Welfare Act grants tribal authorities' jurisdiction over child welfare cases and requires agencies to make active efforts to connect families with substantive services that reflect the tribe's social and cultural standards.
Additional Resources
Equity for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth and Families
LGBTQIA2S+ youth are overrepresented in foster care. Studies have found that about 30 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQIA2S+ , compared with 11 percent of youth not in foster care. LGBTQIA2S+ caregivers have faced discrimination when wanting to expand their families through foster care or adoption, and furthermore those who want to help their child access the gender-affirming medical care necessary to improve their well-being may face significant barriers. Additionally, LGBTQIA2S+ children and youth deal with higher rates of mental health challenges. Research shows that lesbian and gay youth face much higher rates of major depression (18 percent) and posttraumatic stress disorder (11 percent)—and that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth have higher rates of suicidal behavior (31 percent)—compared with the general youth population (8 percent, 4 percent, and 4 percent, respectively).
It is important for agencies to provide programs and practices designed to improve outcomes for LGBTQIA2S+ children and youth. CB supports equity for LGBTQIA2S+ children and youth through Information Memorandums that provide agencies with guidance on how to leverage federal funding, including grants that help implement and evaluate programs and interventions for LGBTQIA2S+ children and youth in foster care and develop resources in partnership with those with lived experience.
On June 15, 2022, the White House released an Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals that recommends action steps across the federal government, including CB-specific items. CB is committed to implementing the recommendations and offers resources to support the goals of the Executive Order at the Equity for LGBTQIA2S+ Individuals webpage .
Information Memorandums
- Final Rule on Designated Placement Requirements Under Titles IV-E and IV-B for LGBTQI+ Children (Children's Bureau)
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on safe and appropriate foster care placement requirements under titles IV-E and IV-B for children who identify as LGBTQI+, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression (Children's Bureau)
- Guidance for Title IV-B and IV-E Agencies When Serving LGBTQI+ Children and Youth (Children's Bureau)
Additional Resources
- A Message in Support of LGBTQI+ Children and Youth Who Are Involved With the Child Welfare System (Administration for Children and Families)
- Advancing Equality for LGBTQIA2S+ Individuals (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
- LGBTQIA2S+ Resources (Children's Bureau)
- Federal Funding to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Plus (LGBTQIA2S+) Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families (Children's Bureau)
Equity for Those With Disabilities
Although it is unlawful to discriminate against individuals with disabilities, parents with disabilities are disproportionately referred to child welfare services and separated from their children. In addition, children with disabilities experience maltreatment at higher rates than children without disabilities. It is important to CB’s mission that the child welfare workforce be fully devoted to equitably serving children and families with disabilities in their licensing, services, and all other supports.
President Biden’s Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government explicitly includes people with disabilities in its call for comprehensive action. It seeks to remove barriers to accessing care and services, such as requiring reasonable modifications and auxiliary aids in all foster care and child custody matters.
Additional Resources
- Protecting the Rights of Parents and Prospective Parents With Disabilities: Technical Assistance for State and Local Child Welfare Agencies and Courts Under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Justice)
- Advancing Equity in Child Welfare (Capacity Building Center for States)
- Addressing Disproportionality (Child Welfare Information Gateway)