Communities in Partnership to Protect Children: Advancing Permanency Outcomes by Incorporating Philosophy to Drive Syste

1. 1 Presentation to the 2011 Children in Court Summit Achieving Brighter Futures for Our Youth Their Future is Our Future New Jersey Court Improvement Project Marcia M. Sturdivant, Ph.D. Deputy Director Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth and Families May 3, 2011 Communities in Partnership to Protect Children: Advancing Permanency Outcomes by Incorporating Philosophy to Drive Systemic Change

2. 2 About ACCYF ACCYF IS NOT A PERFECT CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM! THE ONLY PERFECT CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM IS NO CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM!

3. 3 Shifting the Paradigm: Changing Philosophy and Practice Safety Measures � 1st and foremost Community Mistrust Placement Rates Quality Assurance Diversity and Inclusiveness

4. 4 Hard Lessons, Big Pills, Denial We have to accept things we don�t like to hear or believe, but a real commitment to improving practice requires a level of receptiveness that isn�t always comfortable. In the end, we will be better professionals and children and families will be better served. Unfortunately, some people will always want to feel comfortable; let�s start with the people who are willing to be challenged.

5. 5 Ethnic minority children are more likely to be separated from their parents Ethnic minority children are more likely to receive higher levels of intervention strategies Ethnic minority children spend more time in foster care Ethnic minority children receive inferior services (Roberts, 2004) Facts About U.S. Child Welfare System of Care: Race, Class and Gender Matters

6. 6 Placement - 56% vs. 24% Length of time in placement - 62 months vs. 36 months Length of open case longer than 18 months - 64% vs. 31% When poverty is controlled minority children still have a 42% lower probability of leaving custody Facts About U.S. Child Welfare System of Care: Race, Class and Gender Matters

7. 7 Child welfare is largely a system addressing concerns of women parenting children. The view of the absentee father is prevalent in child welfare perception, philosophy and practice. Social challenges related to gender receive little attention in child welfare practice. Facts About U.S. Child Welfare System of Care: Race, Class and Gender Matters

8. 8 Public Perceptions and Public Policy Foundations of Disparity The feminization of poverty Some governments alleviate the problem through public policies designed to remedy economic and social hardships U.S. has responded to the phenomenon with policies designed less to remedy inequities than to try to control behavior and demonstrate dominant attitudes about the relationship between home, family, and government (Geiger, 1995)

9. 9 Public Perceptions and Public PolicyFoundations of Disparity The feminization of poverty Public policy is deeply rooted in stereotypical perceptions of poor, single and minority mothers. �There are a lot of�lies that male society tells about welfare mothers�If people are willing to believe these lies, it�s partly because they�re just special versions of the lies that society tells about all women� (Johnnie Tillman, 1972)

10. 10 Economic Impact of Disparity Child Welfare is a multi-billion dollar industry creating jobs for systems, but depletes communities of their foundational strengths, i.e. self-sufficient, government-free families. Inclusion in the child welfare system negatively effects individual employment, educational, social, and recreational opportunities and subsequently effects the economic viability of communities and ultimately the nation.

11. 11 The history of the child welfare field is a history of paternalism (Andrew Turnell, 1998) Current Child Welfare Practice and Philosophy

12. 12 Current Child Welfare Practice and Philosophy Paternalism is defined as: The process whereby the professional approaches the child protection service recipient with the attitude that it is the professional�s opinion that carries the most import in the interaction.

13. 13 Current Child Welfare Practice and Philosophy The professional evaluates the nature of the problem, the risk and the harm, and formulates the solutions required to resolve the matter. What the service recipient thinks is secondary.

14. 14 Biogenic Theory