As an active member of the King County Coalition on Racial Disproportionality, Casey Family Program’s field office in Seattle , Washington, is working to undo the effects of institutional racism in the child welfare system.  

Convened by the chief juvenile court judge in King County Superior Court, the coalition seeks to:

• reduce the disproportionate representation of children of color in the child welfare system
• remedy the disparity in outcomes—such as high school graduation rates—for children of color compared to their Caucasian peers

Undoing Racism
No one in the United States escapes the effects of racism—certainly not caseworkers, juvenile court judges, foster parents, kinship families, or youth displaced from their birth families.

To develop a common understanding and language among coalition members, Casey facilitated a workshop focused on how institutional racism impacts children and families as they enter and move through the child welfare system.

Looking at decisions at each step
The coalition analyzes local data on decision points in the child welfare system—such as whether to remove children from their birth parents. After determining how the decision points affect disproportionality, the group will develop strategies to improve outcomes for children of color.

Along with Casey, coalition members include:

• Washington state's Region 4 Children's Administration, Department of Social and Health Services
• Catalyst For Kids
• Northwest Institute for Children and Families at the University of Washington
• One Church One Child
• Mockingbird Society
• Attorney General’s Office
• Public Defender’s Office

For more information, call Lyman Legters at 206.322.6711.