Work

American Indian and Alaska Native overexposure to foster care and family surveillance in the US: A quantitative overview of contemporary system contact

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Following a long history of forced assimilation through family separation, American Indian and Alaska Native children continue to be separated from their families by state child welfare agencies at exceptionally high rates. This study provides insights into the geographies and institutional sites where inequalities emerge. We find that risks of child welfare system contact are highest for AIAN infants, and that risk is highly variable across states. These exceptionally high levels of risk indicate that the crisis of Indian family separation is ongoing. For AIAN children in states like Minnesota, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, contact with the child welfare system is a routine part of growing up.

Source: Children and Youth Services Review

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106915

Authors: Frank Edwards, Theresa Rocha Beardall, Hannah Curtis

Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: William T. Grant Foundation