By: Tatum Abel, Peer Engagement Coordinator
The foster care system is designed to protect children in vulnerable situations, offering them a haven when their biological families cannot safely provide care. However, data compiled by Kentucky Youth Advocates persistently shows that Black children are being removed from their homes more than their white peers once involved with the child welfare system.
In 2021, more than 390,000 youth across the country were living in foster care, with Black youth making up 22% of that population – the lowest share in more than 20 years – despite making up only 14% of the national child population. In Kentucky, for every 1,000 youth ages 0 to 17 who are living in foster care, 16.3 are Black, 8.4 are Latinx, and 13.6 are White, despite the total child population being 9.52% Black, 8.07% Latinx, and 75.64% White.
There are numerous factors that can contribute to these disparities, including “poverty, community risk factors related to disadvantaged neighborhoods where individuals live…racial bias and inconsistencies in policies and decision making within child welfare agencies.” More importantly, there are real people who make up those numbers.
Aryn Williams, Truth Telling Circles Project
Aryn Williams, a member of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Truth Telling Circles grant which focuses on addressing the impact of racial disparities in foster care, shared her experience: “I have had to switch foster homes because the schools were predominantly white and as the only black kid I would get racial slurs thrown at me sometimes. I would feel as if I was cast out or being bullied.”
Christopher Hagan, a former member of the Voices of the Commonwealth, an advocate group made up of current or former foster youth ages 16 to 22, experienced racial disparities firsthand as a former foster youth and while working in a Lexington group home. Christopher believes that “if there were more foster parents of color and more who are willing to take in teens or more supports for biological families, these kids would have been better set up for success.”
Addressing disparities requires a multifaceted approach that integrates the needs and experiences of Black youth into policies, practices, and programs. Christopher believes that many families, like his, “just need assistance and extra internal healing”, while Aryn advocates for “more frequent and in depth meetings…the farther these children are away from home” to prevent them from slipping through the cracks, especially if they’re not checked up on as often. Aryn also spoke about the importance of child welfare professionals knowing the history and current climate of towns that children of color are placed in to mitigate harm.
By confronting racial disparities, Kentucky can create a foster care system that prioritizes the safety and well-being of every child, ensures access to resources that address critical needs, and keeps families safely together.
