Model Fidelity and Child Well-Being in Family Team Conference: The Moderation Effect of Racial Matching

Background and Purpose

In child welfare, an ongoing debate has existed regarding the effectiveness of child-caseworker racial matching, particularly for children of color. Racial matching may be beneficial for reducing racial stereotypes, increasing service utilization, and providing culturally responsive services. However, previous studies showed inconsistent results. More importantly, only limited studies investigate how racial matching is associated with the outcomes of the Family Team Conference (FTC) designed to empower families to develop individualized service plans by collaborating with formal and informal supports. We explore how the quality of implementing FTC (fidelity) differ when caseworkers who facilitate FTC work with children from the same or different racial groups. We also examine the moderation effect of racial matching on the relationship between the fidelity of FTC and child well-being.

Methods

We analyzed survey data that evaluated 736 child welfare cases in a Midwestern state in 2018. Caseworkers were asked to randomly select one closed case and assess the quality of FTC and child outcomes. Child well-being was measured by four items evaluating physical, emotional, developmental, and learning outcomes. The fidelity of FTC was evaluated by caseworkers using ten items that reflected the core principles of FTC (e.g., cultural respect). Racial matching was categorized into four groups: non-racial matching for white children, non-racial matching for children of color, racial matching for white children, and racial matching for children of color (reference group). ANOVA and multiple regression analyses were performed. The regression model also included various characteristics of children and caseworkers as control variables.

Results

The overall fidelity of FTC was not significantly different between the four racial matching groups. However, there were significant differences in some fidelity indicators. Non-racial matching for white children showed higher scores on community-based services and outcome-based approach as compared to racial matching for white children. Racial matching for white children (M = 4.02, SD = .81) reported higher scores on persistent support than racial matching for children of color (M = 3.61, SD = .97). The regression analysis showed that model fidelity was positively associated with child well-being (β = .28, p < .001). The main effect of racial matching was not significant. Similarly, it did not significantly moderate the positive relationship between the fidelity of FTC and child well-being.

Conclusions and Implications

The findings suggest that the high fidelity of FTC is critical for improving child well-being. However, racial matching was neither a significant factor nor a moderator. Instead, a follow-up analysis indicated that caseworkers’ team facilitation skills significantly strengthened the positive association between the fidelity of FTC and child well-being (β = .15, p < .05). The results imply that caseworkers’ skills that promote family empowerment and ensure shared decision-making in FTC may be more important than simple racial matching. However, it is important to note that the effect of racial matching may differ if it is evaluated by child and family perspectives. Some researchers also suggest that language matching may be more effective than racial matching.