Responders to our recent survey emphasized that reducing racial disparities in the child welfare system would require a broader array of prevention and early intervention services.
What would that look like?
It would first require huge and heretofore politically unfeasible investments to ensure that Black, brown and Indigenous families have ready access to services such as child care, transportation, and mental health services.
In addition, we must fully fund programs proven to divert at-risk families from child protection such as parenting skills training, early learning scholarships, flexible funding to pay for basics like housing and food, and timely access to drug treatment.
Is society ready to make financial commitments of this magnitude? The current focus on racial justice makes the prospects for this better than they have been in decades.