A Snapshot of Racial Inequities in Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts

Publication Date: March 28, 2023
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  • Published: 2023

Introduction

This brief is part of a study focused more broadly on human services programs in rural contexts. Through a mixed-methods research design, including administrative and secondary data and interviews with human service providers across 12 site visits, and engagement with other subject matter experts, this project (1) provided a rich description of human services programs in rural contexts; (2) determined the remaining need for human services in rural communities; and (3) identified opportunities for strengthening the capacity of human services programs to promote the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities in rural contexts.

In this brief, we identify differences between Black, Hispanic, Native, and white populations that may indicate a potentially unfair and systemic privilege for certain populations.

Purpose

The purpose of this brief is to describe racial inequities in human services programs in rural areas, as it relates to remaining need for program services, levels of unemployment and poverty, access to broadband and transportation, and funding per person in poverty.

Key Findings and Highlights

This brief found that rural counties with predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Native populations have high remaining need, which is defined as the difference between the eligible population and population served by human services programs in each rural county.

Rural counties with predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Native populations experience greater levels of unemployment and poverty and have more limited access to highspeed broadband internet and transportation than the average rural county.

Predominantly Black and Hispanic rural counties also have significantly less funding available per person in poverty than the average rural county. This inequity may be partially explained by lower welfare cutoffs and similar policies in states where these populations are often located as well as by cultural distrust of the government and stigma associated with receipt of human services.

Tribal program staff identified two key differentiators between tribal and non-tribal rural communities that impact service delivery: Historical trauma due to past interactions between the Federal Government and tribal governments; and a disconnect between Western and tribal cultures, expectations, beliefs, and perceptions of success, meaning that services may be misaligned to community needs and priorities.

Citation

Ward, E., J. Murdoch, and N. Chakraborti. 2022. A Snapshot of Racial Inequities in Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts. OPRE Brief #2022-315. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.