Differential Response As a Culturally Responsive Practice in Child Welfare

Background and Purpose: Differential response (DR) is a growing approach in child welfare that allows for multiple, more flexible responses to families that pose low risk of safety to children.  Core components of DR include: engaging families and extended families in decision-making; addressing families’ basic needs; shifting to early intervention; and collaborating with community-based organizations (QIC-DR, 2011). Several states have implemented DR as part of an overall strategy to address racial disparities in child welfare.  Evaluations of this approach have found promising outcomes in family satisfaction and child safety, but many questions remain regarding how DR is implemented with racially diverse children and families.  This study explored which aspects of DR implementation may be more culturally responsive and might help account for differences in racial equity outcomes across jurisdictions.

Methods:  This study compared the implementation of DR across nine counties in Minnesota, to examine the impact of this approach on over-represented groups in this state, including African American, American Indian, Multi-racial and Latino children.  This comparative case study was part of a larger mixed methods study.  Counties were stratified and selected based on analysis of county-level administrative child welfare data from 2003 to 2010 that examined whether there were racial disparities at key decision making points (i.e., pathway assignment to DR or investigation; decision to remove a child to out-of-home placement; and rates of re-reporting after case closing).  Data was collected from semi-structured focus groups with child welfare workers and interviews with supervisors from the nine selected counties.  Data analysis was guided by a conceptual framework developed by this researcher that linked the core components of DR with promising strategies in culturally responsive practice.  Analysis included examination of single cases and cross-case comparisons that explored both common themes and divergent patterns (Miles & Huberman, 1994). 

Results: Using DR as a culturally responsive practice included a focus on identifying “enduring supports” for parents, helping families meet basic needs, and counties hiring more culturally and racially diverse staff.  Workers in counties that effectively used DR described a shift in values, from viewing the family as “non-compliant or “resistant,” to viewing family engagement as the worker’s responsibility. Counties with more positive outcomes also included these components in their implementation: more comprehensive assessment protocols; extensive initial and ongoing training and coaching in DR; and the use of group case consultation. 

Implications: Past research has not fully examined the implementation of DR with racially and ethnically diverse families. This study builds unique understanding in this area, with findings that suggest DR may be a culturally responsive approach in child welfare.  DR practices that better engage families in problem-solving and sharing responsibility for keeping children safe include: asking families what support they see as important; building on family strengths; and focusing less on “what did happen” and more on “how can we make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Also highlighted are the implications of using DR and more holistic approaches with families and communities who have been historically over-represented in child welfare.