1. Child Welfare Permanency and Racial Equity Efforts in Illinois Angela Baron-Jeffrey Center for Child Welfare and Education Child Welfare Advisory Council Racial Equity Practice Subcommittee April 6 th, 2016 (Bloomington, IL)

2. Common Terms in Describing Outcomes Disproportionality Disparity Equality Equity The over or underrepresentation of a particular group in a program or system. The differences observed in treatment, outcomes, resources and services between two or more groups. The concept that everyone should be treated in exactly the same way. The concept that everyone should be treated in a way that meets their specific needs so they have a fair opportunity to achieve their potential.

3. Data submitted annually since 1997 on children in foster care has shown that children of color are disproportionally represented in the child welfare system nationwide. For instance, in 2000, African American children only made up 16% of the general child population but represented 38% of all children in foster care. By 2013, the number of African American children in foster care was reduced to 24.4% compared to their general population of 13.8%, yet disproportionality in child welfare remains a nation- wide concern. Disproportional Number of African-Americans in Child Welfare National Counsel of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. (2015). Disproportionality Rates for Children of Color in Foster Care. Retrieved from http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/NCJFCJ%202013%20Dispro%20TAB%20Final.pdf

4. Data reports show that children of color stay in the system longer, experience more frequent placement changes, and receive fewer supports. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway, African American children nationwide were twice as likely to enter care than white children and leave at a 50% slower rate in 2013. Disparities in Child Welfare Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2015). Foster Care Statistics 2013. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/foster.pdf National Counsel of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. (2015). Disproportionality Rates for Children of Color in Foster Care. Retrieved from http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/NCJFCJ%202013%20Dispro%20TAB%20Final.pdf

5.  Illinois currently ranks 48 out of 51 states  The median length of stay before reunification is 15.7 months for IL, compared to the national average of 6.5 months  The median length of stay before adoption is 44.6 months for IL, compared to the national average of 32.4 months.  Cases open after 36 months: African American – 44% Hispanic – 34% White – 31% Child Welfare Permanency in Illinois Fostering Court Improvement. (2015). Statistics for Northern Region. Retrieved from http://fosteringcourtimprovement.org/il/DCFSRegion/Northern/ Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. (2015). Child and Family Service Plan. Retrieved from https://www.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/newsandreports/Documents/2015-2019_Child_and_Family_Services_Plan.pdf

6. Disproportionality in the Northern Region, FY15 Although African American children make up only 6% of the total youth population in the Northern Region, they represent 43% of children within the foster care system The disproportionality ratio for Northern Region for African Americans is 7.2

7. African AmericanHispanicWhite DeKalb 3.10.70.9 DuPage 5.00.60.9 Kane 6.60.40.9 Kankakee 3.20.20.6 Lake 8.00.60.4 McHenry 9.00.60.9 Will 3.60.60.7 Winnebago 4.00.40.5 Northern Region7.20.750.6 Comparison of the Disproportionality Ratios in Northern Region Action Team Counties

8. Disparity in the Northern Region, FY15 In the Northern Region, African American children were 4.67 times more likely to be investigated than white children and 47% more likely to enter care

9. Disproportionality and Disparity in Cook County, FY15 The disproportionality ratio for Cook County for African Americans is 2.79 Furthermore, African American children were more than 6 times more likely to enter care than white children Source: http://www.permanencyenhancementproject.org/

10. Programs to Improve Permanency & Equity Differential Response Court Improvement Projects Anti-Racism Transformation Teams Family Advocacy Centers Father Involvement Project Trauma Informed Practice PEP Community Action Teams

11.  Data informed practice (Gather, analyze, interpret and disseminate child welfare data on permanency, disparity and disproportionality to guide practice  Local community engagement and cross system collaboration (local action teams with various stakeholders including DCFS, families, providers, court, local agencies, etc.)  Sustained Partnerships to work on Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP) overarching goals Permanency Enhancement Project Strategy

12. Preserve families Reunify families Improve adoption and guardianship outcomes Reduce racial disparity PEP’s Overarching Goals for Action Teams

13. St. Clair Action Team 1. Decrease Time to Adjudication 2. Increase Communication Efficiency 3. Increase Training Goals

14. St. Clair Action Team Goal: Decrease Time to Adjudication Decrease Time to Adjudication Monitor Court Continuances Maintain Communication with Judge Improve Communication between DCFS & State’s Attorney

15. St. Clair Action Team Goal: Increase Communication Efficiency Increase Communication Efficiency Implement Use of Email Communication Improve Communication with Foster Parents Increase Efficient Communication with POS Improve Relationship with Madison County Action Team Parties Present in Court

16. St. Clair Action Team Goal: Increase Training Increase Training Data Presentations Documentation Expectations Retrain for Indian Welfare Notification Act

17. St. Clair Action Team St. Clair Action Team has demonstrated success in reducing the number of cases hanging in limbo due to court and termination continuances by 92% since the Action Team made this issue their primary focus.