{"id":31989,"date":"2022-08-08T17:07:35","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T17:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/data-and-equity\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T18:02:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:02:31","slug":"datos-y-equidad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/data-and-equity\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo pueden la recopilaci\u00f3n, el an\u00e1lisis y la presentaci\u00f3n de informes de datos demogr\u00e1ficos apoyar a los ni\u00f1os y a las familias?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For child welfare systems to design effective and equitable solutions that support families upstream<\/span><\/a>, accurate data about who the system impacts most are essential. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting demographic data by race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other variables help systems better understand any disparate outcomes from their programs, and then use what they have learned to better serve the needs of children and families moving forward.1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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National data demonstrate disproportionality within the current child welfare system<\/span><\/a> for both Black and American Indian\/Alaska Native children beginning at the first point of contact. This overrepresentation<\/span><\/a> occurs even when controlling for other characteristics. Similarly, youth who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual<\/span><\/a> are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be placed into foster care than heterosexual youth. Child protection agencies have a responsibility to understand data trends at every decision point<\/span><\/a> and determine how existing and proposed practices and policies may contribute to disparities within the child welfare system. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Commitment of staff at all levels, involvement of the community, funding for the implementation and monitoring of effective interventions, and collaboration within and across systems also are necessary to understand the current landscape and develop targeted solutions to address disparities.2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Guidelines for collecting meaningful data about people and programs<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Communities should inform the methods and categories used to track demographic data. Categories need to be nuanced enough to accurately describe people. Caseworkers require guidance and clear expectations around accountability, and data systems must be nimble enough to record, revise, and report nuanced categories.<\/p>\n

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Move beyond standard categorization<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Longstanding and widely used federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards include five race categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White), and one ethnicity category (Hispanic\/Latino). The OMB classifications, however, often are too broad to be meaningful. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know how to identify because they don\u2019t fit in current OMB categories,\u201d said Ali Jawetz, senior policy analyst at the Center for the Study of Social Policy. \u201cFor example, people from Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon are categorized as white, and Hispanic\/Latino people need to identify a race in addition to their ethnicity, but they may not identify as one of the five broad race categories.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Important distinctions within subgroups are not made, such as within Asian populations or among American Indian tribes. Details about the specific backgrounds of multiracial people also are not included, and often only a primary race or ethnicity is used in any analysis of disproportionality and disparities. All data collection systems should allow more than one race\/ethnicity to be recorded. Whether a child qualifies for support under the Indian Child Welfare Act also should be carefully tracked. Beginning in 2025, tracking and reporting whether a child qualifies for support under the Indian Child Welfare Act is a federal requirement of Title IV-E agencies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Putting Pride into Practice<\/span><\/a> project recommends tracking gender identity for children 3 and older, including options for male, female, transgender, non-binary, or another gender. Sexual orientation also should be collected and tracked for children 10 and older who are able to understand and discuss the concept.<\/p>\n

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Using Data to Advance Racial Equity in Washington State\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Washington\u2019s Department of Children, Youth, & Families (DCYF) oversees child welfare, early learning, and juvenile rehabilitation. DCYF\u2019s\u00a0strategic priorities for 2021 through 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0include eliminating disproportionality and advancing racial equity. As part of this work, the agency has committed to: becoming anti-racist; developing and implementing plans to advance racial equity in partnership with communities of color; and ensuring that all assessments and programs are equitable. Housing several child- and youth-serving agencies in one department provides an opportunity to integrate practices and data collection processes. \u201cWe have an opportunity to integrate these program areas in a way that is somewhat rare and innovative,\u201d said Kevin Cummings, senior researcher for early learning in DCYF\u2019s Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability. \u201cThere\u2019s some excitement around that.\u201d The office created\u00a0Using Data in DCYF to Advance Racial Equity<\/i><\/span><\/a>, a guide that agencies can use to build a common understanding of race\/ethnicity data, and identify and address disproportionality and disparities across programs and outcomes. The document includes a reporting standard to disaggregate the multiracial category to ensure groups that historically have been underserved are not overlooked. In the future, DCYF plans to use the framework to address racial equity as a model for exploring and addressing equity for other groups of people, including LGBTQIA+ youth and families, people whose primary languages are not English, and people who are disabled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Provide staff training\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

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Caseworkers should be trained to ask children and families about their demographic background rather than assume designations (often incorrectly) based on appearance, language spoken, or other characteristics. \u201cWe came up with new policies basically saying that the individual gets to decide how they identify,\u201d said Rachel Thorburn, assistant program administrator at the Hawaii Department of Human Services. \u201cIt\u2019s not something for someone else to define.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In focus groups with caseworkers, the Center for the Study of Social Policy found that some caseworkers were comfortable asking about people\u2019s racial and ethnic backgrounds, while others said they could benefit from some training. In Hawaii<\/b><\/span>, caseworkers appreciated receiving scripts they could use when talking to families about race. New York<\/b><\/span> has created guidance<\/span><\/a> for respectfully asking questions related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation<\/span><\/a> has published a comprehensive guidance applicable to all jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

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In Washington<\/b><\/span>, the Department of Children Youth & Families (DCYF) has taken steps to align guidelines around race and ethnicity data collection across agency program areas (i.e. early learning, child welfare, and juvenile rehabilitation). Historically, guidance had been inconsistent both between and within these three program areas. For example, not all programs were providing specific guidance on what to do if a client\u2019s racial or ethnic background was unknown. To avoid field staff being put in a position of having to guess when filling out required race and ethnicity fields for clients, DCYF issued guidance to include an \u201cunknown\u201d category in all data collection systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Refine data collection and reporting systems<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Data systems need to be updated to more accurately capture race and ethnicity. Even if agencies are required to report using the OMB categories, they can collect nuanced data to use internally and aggregate categories as needed for external reporting. Data systems also should be created such that racial and ethnic identity can be updated over time<\/span><\/a>. \u201cRace\/ethnic identity is fluid,\u201d said Lisa Mishraky-Javier, senior associate at the Center for the Study of Social Policy. \u201cIt changes over time. Systems should put mechanisms in place for that information to be updated.\u201d Data broken out by race\/ethnicity and age also should be publicly available and accessible, as Minnesota<\/b><\/span> has done with its dashboard<\/span><\/a> of children in foster care, as should data broken out by gender identity and sexual orientation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The categories that we have aren\u2019t that meaningful, even if they are accurate. They\u2019re too broad. We want to be specific in order to figure out what people\u2019s needs are.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Ali Jawetz, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for the Study of Social Policy<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Strategies for creating and using disaggregated data<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Addressing disproportionality and disparities also requires transforming the way knowledge is generated and applied. This includes: involving community members and people with lived experience in designing evaluations, interpreting results, and developing policies to address disparities; conducting decision-point analyses and examining root causes; using data to promote continuous quality improvement<\/span><\/a>; and examining which interventions are successful for different groups of people. Collecting information on clients\u2019 race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other demographic variables is important not only to monitor for disproportionality and disparities, but to develop and implement services that are tailored and relevant.<\/p>\n

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Involve community\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

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Including community voices in the collection of data, research design, and interpretation of outcomes through participatory action research<\/span> can improve the quality and representativeness of information<\/span><\/a> and help maintain the continuity and sustainability of work<\/span><\/a>. In addition, it can help address the lack of demographic diversity among people who typically collect, analyze, interpret, and publicize data on children, families, and communities. When data analysts report on cultures or community norms unfamiliar to them, they may overlook key contexts that influence outcomes. This can lead to incorrect conclusions that blame families and further exacerbate disparities.<\/p>\n

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Involving community stakeholders requires time and money, and community partners should be credited and compensated for their work. Findings gleaned through data analysis need to be presented in ways that are accessible for community members, yet not overly simplified.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Resources from the federal Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation<\/span><\/a> can help inform jurisdictions on how to engage community members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ensure stakeholders have shared language<\/b><\/h3>\n

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To move this work forward, common understanding of terms is important. \u201cPart of this work is making sure we have shared language and that we\u2019re all on the same page with what this work is about,\u201d said Stephanie Jones Peguero, administrator for the Performance Accountability and Quality Improvement Administration of the Washington, D.C., Child and Family Services Agency. \u201cAre we talking about the same things when we talk about disparity and disproportionality?\u201d To promote common understanding across stakeholders, Washington, D.C.\u2019s race equity steering committee has a subcommittee dedicated to shared language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Relative risk3<\/sup><\/a><\/h3>\n

Be thoughtful in describing disparities. Equity indices often compare the experiences and outcomes of children and families of color with those of white children and families, which reinforces the idea of white culture as normative. Alternatives include comparing the outcomes of children involved in the child welfare system with peers of the same race or ethnicity who are not system-involved, or comparing trends over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Consider partnering with local research organizations and universities<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Jurisdictions vary in their internal capacity for data analysis and reporting. Local research organizations and universities can contribute analytic expertise and may be positioned to solicit feedback from community members and people with lived experience who may be reluctant to share their experiences openly with staff from child welfare agencies. In Utah<\/b><\/span>, an external research organization has been brought on board to ask clients specifically about their experiences involving caseworkers inquiring about their racial\/ethnic background. Allegheny County, Pa.<\/b><\/span>, worked with an external research firm to conduct an institutional analysis<\/span><\/a> of the experiences of youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ who were involved with the child welfare system.<\/p>\n

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Identify and address decision points where disparities occur<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Child welfare agencies should conduct root cause analyses to assess for disproportionality at each decision point, and identify and address policies and practices that contribute to those trends. Washington, D.C.<\/b><\/span>, identified that substantiation rates are higher for Black children than white children, and its race equity steering committee is exploring causes and solutions. A study<\/span><\/a> in New York City<\/b><\/span> found that LGBTQIA+ youth are overrepresented in foster care and more frequently youth of color. The study also found they were more likely to experience group or residential placements, challenges in relationships with family members, and higher risk factors for depression. The New York City Administration for Children\u2019s Services subsequently created an action plan<\/span><\/a> outlining its approach and commitment to addressing these disparities, providing targeted and quality services, and improving outcomes for LGBTQIA+ youth in foster care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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We need to be able to present data in a way that promotes conversations around equity. If we present it in a way that is overly complex, it becomes unpalatable to the folks who are ultimately being tasked with implementing changes to eliminate these differences between populations. If we present it in a way that is overly simplified, it becomes misleading and ultimately can be misinterpreted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Kevin Cummings, Senior Researcher for Early Learning, Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability, Washington State Department of Children, Youth, & Families<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Examine data at the local level<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Just as broad demographic categories mask important differences in subgroups, examining outcomes at broad geographical levels can mask important differences by location. Well-being indicators in Washington, D.C.<\/b><\/span>, show that children and families are doing well overall, but a closer examination shows that children in three neighborhoods are struggling more than their peers from other parts of the district. \u201cWhen you\u2019re looking at indicators on a broad scale for D.C., the success masks what\u2019s really happening for our families that are most impacted by child welfare,\u201d Jones Peguero said. When examining data from small localities, it may be necessary to oversample some populations (such as Asian American subgroups, Native Hawaiians, LGBTQIA+) to ensure sufficient representation.<\/p>\n

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Use data to improve services<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Robust demographic data also can be used to tailor services<\/span><\/a> to specific groups of children and families. For example, some Native Hawaiian people may benefit from social services in Hawaii<\/b><\/span> that are rooted in their values and culture, such as pounding taro root and making poi together., \u201cYou don\u2019t give everyone the same thing,\u201d said Rachel Thorburn, assistant program administrator for the Hawaii Department of Human Services. \u201cYou give them what they need, tailoring services based on what you find out about their ethnic background, culture, and practices. The more you know, the better you understand their background, the more you\u2019ll be able to tailor your services.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jawetz recounts that when working on the Center for the Study of Social Policy\u2019s Data for Equity project<\/span><\/a>, \u201cwe were talking to people in focus groups about the importance of collecting this data, and a lot of people were talking about the importance of caseworkers getting to know them \u2014 not just asking these questions to check a box, but actually getting to know a family\u2019s cultural background for the purpose of better serving them and their case.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Selected resources<\/span><\/div>\n \n

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By the Numbers: Using Disaggregated Data to Inform Policies, Practices, and Decision-Making<\/em><\/a> (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2016)<\/p>\n