This study examines the impact of intensive family preservation services (IFPS) on racial disproportionality of placement into out-of-home care. A large sample was partitioned on the basis of race, risk, and services received. The probability of placement is examined as a function of these variables. High-risk minority children receiving…

The involvement of children of color in child welfare has a mixed history. Earlier research has revealed that there was an underrepresentation of minority children in the 19th century. It only grew during the 1970s and 1980s. It should be noted that the widespread concern about disproportionality is not mainly about the disproportionate numbers of…

The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996 (MEPA-IEP) require states to develop plans that "provide for the diligent recruitment of potential foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of children in the state for whom foster and adoptive homes are needed." This…

The aim of this descriptive study was to compare the report profiles of Caucasian, Aboriginal, and other visible minority children whose cases were assessed by child protective services in Canada. The results show that children of Aboriginal ancestry and from visible minority groups are selected for investigation by child protective services 1.77…

A study of the cognitive and academic skills of an agency's foster children indicated that the general level of functioning was similar to that of low-income and minority children living with their own families. (Author/DB)

Each year, state juvenile courts provide thousands of immigrant and refugee children with access to consistent and reliable caregiving and a stable environment. To examine how courts interpret "the best interests" of immigrant and refugee children, this article examines 24 cases in courts across the United States, which indicate they use…

Willingness to adopt atypical children appears to be high for children who are under 5 years of age, who are physically handicapped, are slow learners, or are of American Indian or Spanish-American parentage. (Author)

Describes social, economic, and family structure variables that place specific Latino subgroups at risk, synthesizes available data on Latino children in the child welfare system, and discusses a direction for ethnic-specific child welfare policy for vulnerable Latino groups. Concludes that family services must promote economic and social…

Examined the history of adoption practices for children of color at the Boys and Girls Aid Society of Oregon. During the period studied (1944-77), 466 children of color were placed with adoptive parents of the same or different race. The agency pioneered new practices, yet also reflected broader social factors regarding adoption and attitudes…

Describes the Fresno Amicus Program, a program of volunteer, court-appointed advocates who assist in cases of abuse and neglect involving minority families. Also describes an outcome study of the program. In the amicus group, significantly fewer children were placed in long-term foster care than in the comparison group. Significantly more children…

Discusses how during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a social ethos evolved among African American women that led to internal child welfare reform in legally segregated African American communities. Uses as an example the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, founded in 1915, to describe these child welfare developments. (TM)

Introduces a project undertaken to examine the medical/health, social services, and legal needs of African American children who have experienced or will experience the death of one or both parents as a result of HIV/AIDS. Presents the preliminary findings, and claims that services have expanded but much remains to be accomplished to achieve…

Reports preliminary findings of an ethnographic study with 10 refugee families in Canada who needed additional help in their resettlement process, focusing particularly on the needs of children. Discusses promoting identity formation, enhancing adaptation, helping children to mourn, and placing children in their familial and cultural context. (JPB)

Claims that although agencies specializing in adoption of minority children have been successful in achieving same-race adoptive placements for African American children, funding and support for some of these initiatives have been withheld. Describes successful placement practices used by a private agency in California and a public agency in…

Presents the historical background, contemporary factors, issues, and activities that led to the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Discusses actions of the Devils Lake Sioux of North Dakota in 1968 and involvement of the Association on American Indian Affairs, which led to Senate hearings in 1974 and passage of the act in 1978. (TM)