Overrepresented and Underserved: Examining the Structural Inequities Facing Black Families in Child Welfare

Background and Purpose: Research has consistently shown significant disparities in child welfare (CW) involvement for Black children across Canada. Black families are overrepresented at multiple points along the CW continuum—from initial reports and investigations to out-of-home placements. However, the structural and institutional mechanisms underpinning these disparities remain underexplored. Identifying the drivers of these inequities is essential to disrupting harmful patterns of overrepresentation and informing more equitable policy and practice responses—particularly those that do not rely on child welfare as the default system of care for Black families.

Methods: This study utilized data from the 2019 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2019), a national dataset capturing information on child maltreatment-related investigations across Canada. The fully weighted sample included an estimated 134,925 investigations involving White families and 28,415 involving Black families. A two-stage analytical approach was employed to examine racial disparities in out-of-home placements while accounting for potential confounding factors. First, descriptive and bivariate analyses using the weighted sample compared investigation and placement rates by racial group. Second, propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to the unweighted sample to control for observable case characteristics and isolate the effect of race on placement decisions. Matching variables included child and caregiver demographics, type and severity of alleged maltreatment, and indicators of household functioning.

Results: Findings indicate that Black children were investigated for maltreatment at 2.27 times the rate of White children. Out-of-home placement rates were also higher (3.4 vs. 1.9 per 1,000; 1.79 times per capita). After matching, Black children remained more likely to be placed in out-of-home care, with a rate more than double that of their White counterparts (3.1% vs. 1.5%; LR = 0.004, p = 0.004).

Conclusion: This study reveals persistent racial disparities in child welfare involvement for Black children in Canada, even after accounting for case-level factors. These disparities point to structural inequities—not family or individual deficits—as key drivers of differential outcomes. The overrepresentation of Black children in out-of-home placements reflects a broader systemic issue in which child welfare often acts as a frontline responder to family needs that may be more appropriately addressed through accessible, culturally responsive, community-based services. Black families frequently experience both oversurveillance by child welfare and underservice by broader health, education, and social sectors. These dynamics underscore the need for a shift toward a public health approach to child maltreatment—one that prioritizes prevention, early intervention, and upstream investment in family and community well-being. Enhancing cross-sector collaboration and building supports outside of the child welfare system are critical steps toward reducing disparities and advancing more equitable outcomes for Black families.