Overrepresentation and Disparity of Canadian Black Children Reported Under the Child Protection System: The Need for Effective Cross-System Collaborations

Background and Purpose: Overrepresentation of certain racial groups in the child protection system, given the exceptional nature of child protection laws and practice, requires that we thoroughly examine possible causes of overrepresentation to ensure that marginalized communities have access to support services and that differential treatment is not a result of systemic discrimination and oppression. Most of the research on overrepresentation of Black children in child protection systems has been conducted in the United States (U.S.). Notwithstanding similarities in both countries, Canada and the U.S. differ in several key ways that require some caution in extending research findings from the U.S to Canada. Furthermore, while it is being increasingly recognized that partnerships with community organizations are one way of reducing overrepresentation, research on the development and feasibility of models of cross-system collaboration are scarce.

Methods: This study uses a mixed methods approach that draws on data from three sources: (1) longitudinal administrative data from a child protection agency in Canada (2) Canadian Census data and (3) semi-structured interviews with members of a stakeholder committee responsible for implementation of a cross-system collaboration, to examine some of the underlying causes of overrepresentation faced by Canadian Black children and families. The child protection population studied consists of all children under 15 years old (N = 15,875) screened in for investigation between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2011 and followed for a minimum of 18 months.  Data from the child protection agency and census were used to compare socioeconomic charatersitics of each racial category and to compute disparity indices for Black, White and other visible minority children across the various decision points within the child protection system from investigation to placement.  Following each child’s first initial placement (N = 1395), Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with family reunification.  To highlight challenges faced by the cross-system collaboration between the child protection agency and a community organization, semi-structured interviews (N=6) were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Canadian Black children, compared to all other racial groups, face disparate outcomes throughout their service trajectory in child protection. Black children’s disproportionate need as evidenced by increased socioeconomic disadvantage is argued as the driving force of their overrepresentation. Implementation of an effective model of cross-system collaboration was made difficult through challenges presented by the child protection agency’s organizational context, level of socio-political support and organizational culture. 

Conclusions and Implications: Black children in Canada, similarly to Black children in the U.S., face similar rates of disparity across decision points within the child protection system and this despite historical differences between both populations and Canada’s more progressive social policies. While cross-system collaborations in the area of overrepresentation can help improve access to services within communities, both systems must have the organizational capacity to produce effective collaborations  that go beyond tokenism.