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November 17, 2016
Greetings,
Youth and their families are struggling in the face of this country's mass incarceration crisis. As this month's newsletter reflects, the effects of the carceral state on the siblings of those incarcerated, as well as the financial burdens placed on youth adjudicated delinquent are enormous barriers that often change the trajectory of a young person's life. In order for child welfare systems to best serve children and families, they must attend to the enormous impact of over criminalization on communities of color, including forming closer partnerships with the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
On the topic of systemic injustice, the recently released Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services guidance
to state and local child welfare systems on the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a huge step for the field. The guidance provides an overview of the Act, including outlining the forms of discrimination recognized and insight into the types of child welfare practices the law prohibits. Having two federal agencies uplift the need for greater civil rights protections in how child welfare systems interact with children and families is a tremendous asset for creating more equitable systems.
Thank you for supporting the Alliance as we push our framework beyond the child welfare system to include the role of the court and other public systems that play critical and at times oppressive roles in the lives of youth and families of color. We all have a grain of sand to add to the scales of justice.
All the best,
Tashira Halyard, J.D.
Senior Associate
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Youth Punished for Inability to Pay in Juvenile Justice System
According to a report by Philadelphia's Juvenile Law Center, lower-income and racial and ethnic minority youth are more likely to face probation, incarceration and additional punishment due to their inability to pay juvenile justice system costs. Read about the study and its implications for minority juvenile offenders
here.
Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services Issue Joint Guidance for Child Welfare Systems
The Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a joint guidance to child welfare systems on the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and its regulations. The guidance aims to ensure that child welfare systems know about their responsibilities to protect the civil rights of children & families. For more details and access to the guidance, read the
Justice Department's statement.
Also, read a review of the case that helped to prompt the federal guidance here.
When A Sibling Goes to Prison
The profound negative impact of incarceration on parent-child relationships and child well-being has been well-documented and researched. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of incarceration on sibling relationships. Read the first of a six part series on young people with siblings in prison
here
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PACE All About Girls Summit
Calling all middle and high school aged girls and the organizations, corporations, foundations and advocates who care about them! Early registration for the 2017 All About Girls Summit is now open and you will not want to miss this inspiring national convening for, by, with
and about girls. The All About Girls Summit was designed to create a convening space where the evolving, diverse needs of girls can be explored and the actions we need to take to create a society where girls can thrive can be determined. 2016 speakers included Chelsea Clinton, Gabrielle Union, Beverly Bond and Dominique Dawes and 2017 confirmed speakers include Soledad O'Brien, Marley Dias and many more.
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Check out CSSP's new policy guide for advocates supporting LGBTQ youth of color in child welfare systems. The guide offers recommendations from LGBTQ youth of color from around the country who have had child welfare involvement and is further supported by research and program evidence. Access the guide
here.
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Achieving Racial Equity through Workforce & Organizational Change Webinar
CSSP Senior Associates Juanita Gallion and Tashira Halyard will be featured presenters on the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute's webinar, "Achieving Racial Equity through Workforce & Organizational Change," on December 1st at 3:00 p.m. EST. During the webinar, they will discuss their work building an anti-racist organization as well as supporting child welfare agencies towards reducing racial inequities to become more just, fair and reflective of the communities they serve. Read the full announcement here.
Join the Network
The Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare has formed the Social Service Administrators Racial Equity Network to facilitate information sharing and strategy building among a community of child welfare and social service administrators committed to achieving equity for children and families involved with the child welfare system.
Through this network, child welfare and social service administrators dissect the range of effective policies and system improvement strategies that promote racial equity and improved outcomes for children and families of color. The network includes thought leaders and administrators from social service and human service systems, as each of these broader systems provides critically important supports and services.
Please contact
Precious Graham at the Center for the Study of Social Policy if you're interested in joining this network.
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Established in 2004, the
Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare provides national leadership in support of improved outcomes for children and families of color involved with the nation's child welfare system. The Alliance is guided by a coalition of national organizations, state and local leaders, judges, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, advocates and parents, as well as alumni and youth who have directly experienced the child welfare system.
The Alliance is supported by funding from the Annie E. Casey foundation and is managed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. |
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