The Black Informant

(courant.com) When child advocates in Connecticut look at the faces of children in foster care, they can’t help but notice that most of them are black or Hispanic.

Statewide, African American children make up nearly 36 percent of those in foster care, even though they make up only 11 percent of the state’s overall child population, according to the Department of Children and Families.

It is similar for Hispanics: They make up about a quarter of the foster care population, but only 13 percent of the general population.

And DCF statistics show that the trend permeates nearly every stage of the child welfare system. A disproportionate number of families of color are referred to state officials, investigated for abuse or unstable homes, and have their cases substantiated by investigators.

And, ultimately, the percentage of minority children who enter foster care is higher than the percentage of minority children in society. (more…)

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