Youth, Parents, and Community Partnership and Development

What can policymakers do?

Engage community stakeholders in partnerships to reduce racial disparities in child welfare systems . Following are summaries of stakeholder and community partnerships with child welfare systems in California, Connecticut , Iowa , Massachusetts , Minnesota ,  Texas and washington.  many efforts include town halls and community forums to garner support for reforms. 

example

Washington's  Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee included current or former foster care youth, parents, and representatives of community-based organizations.

What can administrators do?

Hear the voices of children, families and communities . Following are examples of how child welfare administrators have engaged parents, youth and children of color, as well as extended families, tribal members, and community groups, to address issue of racial disparities and disproportionality in child welfare systems.

Examples

• Ramsey County, Minnesota Ending Disparities Project , Woodbury County, Iowa Community Initiative for Native Children and Families .
• Fresno and Alameda County, California Cultural Brokers .  
• Faith Community  engagement in Minnesota and Texas

The National Association for Public Child Welfare Administrators also has created tools to help states and jurisdictions work with community partners to assess progress in reducing racial disproportionality in child welfare systems.