Heidi Gulbrandson– Action Team Leader Hillary Millner Sunah Shin Champaign County Action Team

Action Team Project Overview Description of project: Compile a binder of information and resources related to domestic violence and homelessness and the impact it has on permanency among African Americans. Who participated: ISU MSW students Hillary Millner and Sunah Shin Goals of project: By researching the topics of Domestic violence and homelessness/lack of affordable housing, community stakeholders can develop new strategies to improve permanency outcomes for African American families within the Champaign-Urbana area.

Action Team Project How the project will help further the goals of the team: This project will assist in finding the latest data and trends having to do with domestic violence and homelessness among the African American community. By doing research on domestic violence and homelessness it will help address the issue as well as figure out some resolutions that will enhance a healthier family life which ultimately affects the permanency rates among African Americans.

Champaign-Urbana Demographics Population:

Articles related to Demographics and Permanency Analysis of Hill article: In terms of race/ethnicity, C-U is mostly comprised of White and African Americans. However, if you see the makeup of Champaign-Urbana it is very segregated based on SES. In the Hill article, it says that children under the age of 3 has the highest rate to be victimized. It also shows that there is no difference in maltreatment between white and black families however when factors such as income level, unemployment rates and whether the areas were urban or rural were statistically controlled Black communities had lower rates of child maltreatment than White communities.

Articles related to Demographics and Permanency In this case we are looking at the state of Illinois we see that there is a similar trend in the Hispanic community where they are just as poor as Black families. However, surprisingly studies show that Hispanic children are more underrepresented in the child welfare system. Black women are more likely to be called out for child abuse and maltreatment than White women and this happened even after gender and age were controlled. For instance, in Michigan the Black children were 3 times more likely than White children to be placed in foster care. Studies also show that White kids are more likely to be reunified and adopted than Black kids. Congressional Research Service study that white children who exited care in the year 2003 were more likely to be reunified than black children. Although we know that race/ethnicity isn’t the only factor that causes the overrepresentation within the foster care system we can see that it is still a factor that hasn’t changed at all.

Unemployment Labor Force EmployedNo.Rate Both Sexes Totals 105,053100,4864, % White, Incl. Hispanic 86,04083,0303, % Black Inc. Hispanic , % Native American Inc. Hispanic % Asian5,8765, % Other2,9772, % Joblessness

Articles related to Demographics and Permanency Analysis of GAO article: Joblessness is one of the community factors that affect the rate of child maltreatment. It is noted that poverty is one of the factors that prevent families from being stable. According to the data, it seems as though non- African Americans were more likely to be jobless than we thought. However, GAO studies say that 33 out of 48 states reported that high rates of poverty in the African American communities are related to the increase in proportion of children entering foster care compared to other ethnicities or races.

Articles related to Demographics and Permanency (continued) Analysis of GAO article: It also shows that often times impoverished neighborhoods aren’t given access to the kinds of supports and services that can prevent problems in the home which can lead to neglect and abuse. These services are parenting skills, workshops and counseling, and adequate legal representation, obtaining affordable housing, and also substance abuse treatment. I believe that these are the factors that need to be in check so that everyone has a equal chance when it comes to the foster care system.

Permanency Data Hispanic children were only placed with kin in 2005, and only 14% of that population. -African American children had an increase population over the years until 2005 where the number drops until Kinship care seemed to be increasing for both Caucasians and African American populations until 2007 when the percentage of children in kinship care decreased for both ethnicities

Permanency Data From 2001 to 2006 there is an all time high number of children entering care in 2004 for African American and Caucasian children. African American children had an increase of children entering care from and then it dropped back off in 2005.

Permanency Data -From the months were added up to get the numbers above. -African American children have the longest time in foster care -There has been research stating that race can determine the length of stay within a placement.

Permanency Data -The numbers show that the majority of the years Caucasian children are more likely to find permanence within 12 months. -African American and Caucasian children there were dips in the numbers in 2003 and then an increase in From there was a steady decrease in numbers, meaning a less children finding permanence.

Articles related Permanency Data An article from Casey CSSP Alliance for Racial Equity in the Child Welfare System, by Hill (2006) has found that minorities are twice as likely to be abused or neglected than Caucasian children. African Americans are 36% more likely to be victims of abuse or neglect. Hill also believes that race continues to be a predictor of their placement. Children and families of color are more likely to be treated differently than children of any other race. Most studies identify race as one of the primary determinants of decisions of child protective services at reporting, investigations, substantiation, placement, and exit care. An article by Brown (2008), published by United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that kinship care is less traumatic and also associated with longer lengths of stay. This article also found that African American kin placements usually have lower income. The GAO article touches on reunification, adoption, and legal guardianship. Both articles found that race can determine the length of stay within a placement anywhere.

Binder and Brochure The Homelessness and Domestic Violence Binder is a resource that will be used to see how the African American community is affected by these community issues and how that is correlated to the overrepresentation within the child welfare system. By addressing these prevalent issues of homelessness and domestic violence it will help address and bring about further permanency within the AA families.

Community risk factors National Statistics on Homelessness: Children from homes with housing problems are most likely to be in foster care than children without housing problems (46% vs. 27%). 30% of children in foster care could be reunited with their parents if safe, stable & affordable housing were available. It has been found that reunification rates for families in foster care are approx 50% lower for families who experienced a homeless episode in the 12 months prior to a child being placed in foster care.

Community risk factors (continued) Statistics on Poverty: African-American and Hispanic children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as non-Hispanic white and Asian-Pacific Islander children (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). Almost one third of African-American (30%) and Hispanic (28%) children live in poverty, while the rates are much lower for white (10%) and Asian- Pacific Islander (12%) children. Poverty causes exposure to other social problems: child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and substance abuse.

What can we do: Provision: Provide the families within the C-U community with resources and services that are readily available. Ex: faith based inventory and/or pool the different resources for domestic violence/affordable housing/other basic needs Awareness: Help the families know what they need to do in order to have a safe and healthy family. Ex:Continue with community panel; domestic violence panel, affordable housing panel and/or basic needs Advocate: Make a community effort(like the action team) to identify the needs of the community, bring awareness and pool resources to bring about change.

Domestic Violence African Americans were victimized by intimate partners a significantly higher rates than persons of any other race between 1993 and Black females experienced intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females, and about 22 times the rate of women of other races. Black males experienced intimate partner violence at a rate about 62% higher than that of white males and about 22 times the rate of men of other races. African-American women experience significantly more domestic violence than White women in the age group of Black women experience similar levels of intimate partner victimization in all other age categories as compared to White women, but experience slightly more domestic violence.

How will it help, short term In the short term, by addressing the issue of homelessness and domestic violence it will help AA families realize that having a stable, healthy family is important when it comes to permanency. As more of the families become aware that these are issues they can find ways to provide for their families through the resources available to them in C-U.

How will it help, long term By having more families become aware that homelessness and domestic violence is an issue that is prevalent in the AA community, it will help them to find help and support so that they can establish a healthier and stable home for the children to be placed in.

Recommended Steps for the future As addressed earlier, it will be great if the action team can see that homelessness and domestic violence is a huge factor when it comes to permanency. I feel like they should evaluate all the community resources that are available in the C-U area and link the AA families to them. The brochure to assess the needs in the community and the day where they will have many different organizations and resources available to the families will be a great step.

Drawbacks There wasn’t enough time for the brochures to go out and for us to assess the needs of the African American community in C-U. We both saw the trend and the need to address these particular community issues and researched it, however, we do not know if these are definitely the needs of the C-U community.

Summary With the data collected we are in hopes that the Champaign Action Team will be able to complete their community assessment and help put in place the necessary resources. With the numbers very high in regards to the African American population In Care, jobless, homeless, and experiencing domestic violence the research can only skim the need to additional resources within any given community.