{"id":32089,"date":"2024-02-25T18:28:18","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T18:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/reic-lessons-learned\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T21:18:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T21:18:57","slug":"lecciones-aprendidas-de-reic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/reic-lessons-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfQu\u00e9 est\u00e1n aprendiendo y haciendo las jurisdicciones al abordar las disparidades raciales en el bienestar infantil?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Race Equity Improvement Collaborative (REIC), launched in late 2019 by Casey Family Programs, supports a select group of jurisdictional teams working to address racial disparities in child welfare. Participants from state, county, and tribal agencies representing 15 jurisdictions1<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0have been involved in the REIC since it began. The collaborative\u2019s vision is of a child and family well-being system that is free of structural racism and where outcomes for vulnerable children and families can no longer be predicted by race or place. The goals, objectives, and roadmap for the REIC generally align with the seven steps to advance and embed race equity and inclusion<\/a> developed by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.<\/p>\n

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Core teams gathered in late 2019 to develop common language, examine disaggregated data, and build working agreements. Given the importance of local context and needs, conversations varied widely. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the teams and collaborative logistically, it also underscored the importance of addressing longstanding inequities. Work continued at the jurisdiction level during the pandemic, and six convenings (four of which were virtual) took place between 2020 and 2023.<\/p>\n

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Addressing racial disparities requires both urgent actions to reduce harm and<\/em> long-term adaptive change. To achieve transformation, child protection agencies can implement policies and practices to safely reduce the number of children in foster care \u2014 such as addressing the definition of neglect<\/a>, creating alternative pathways for support<\/a>, embracing procedural justice<\/a>, and making active efforts to apply the principles of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)<\/a> as the standard of child welfare practice for all children. To sustain transformation, agencies also must identify and address the factors and conditions that contribute to racial disparities.<\/p>\n

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This brief provides a snapshot of perspectives and lessons learned from a group of jurisdictions working to address racial disparities.2<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 It offers a window into what jurisdictions participating in the REIC are exploring and navigating, and may offer ideas and insights to inform and inspire the efforts of others. Further evaluation is needed to better understand whether and how any specific strategy may or may not be contributing to changes in outcomes.3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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This is not something we are adding on. This is a fundamental shift in how we practice. So yes, we need to make time for it. But this must actually be the nucleus of how we do the work in every facet of the organization, not just the role of that department over there.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Tanya McClanahan, Director of Inclusion and Analysis, Franklin County (Ohio) Children Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Preliminary lessons<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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As jurisdictional teams reflected on where they have been and where they are going, several important themes emerged.<\/p>\n

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Start somewhere<\/h3>\n

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Racial bias, disparities, and disproportionality should be addressed at every decision point within the child welfare system. Achieving specific outcomes in those areas, however, requires special focus and prioritization. Jaime Trujillo, a bilingual unit supervisor at Denver County<\/strong> Human Services in Colorado, describes this challenge as one of the most difficult facing her team. \u201cWhere do we start? Racism is like a web \u2014 it\u2019s everywhere. But we have to start somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Staying committed to long-term, comprehensive change while also identifying shorter-term targeted strategies to implement and learn from, requires persistence and commitment. \u201cI am realizing all of the harm that has been done throughout history,\u201d said Zoe Lyons, Jackson County director of the Michigan<\/strong> Department of Health and Human Services. \u201cI feel a responsibility to do everything we possibly can in order to see change happen.\u201d\u202fStarting somewhere is critical<\/a>, as is persisting through the many challenges agencies are likely to encounter, including turnover, resistance, and competing priorities.<\/p>\n

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Cultivate leadership<\/h3>\n

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As is the case with advancing any significant challenge, courageous, trusted leadership is critical. Leaders from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, which has a long history of addressing racial inequities, emphasize the importance of establishing clear goals, communicating regularly about this work, allocating resources to support implementation, and embedding an equity focus and accountability across functions, strategies, and work units.4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Jurisdictions where this work has gained traction point to leaders who lead by example and engage in regular dialogue with staff. As a result, they have built trust and momentum. Gaps in leadership and leadership transitions have slowed progress in some jurisdictions. When leaders who championed a focus on racial equity transition out of their roles, progress can stall, especially when the work is not linked to strategic goals or accompanied by clear and formalized shifts in agency policy and practice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Leadership needs to demonstrate that equity is more than conversations and branding. Being inclusive and diverse is essential to delivering quality programs and services.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Prestina Singleton, Director, Alumni Programming, UCAN (youth and family services agency in Chicago)<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Prioritize engagement with lived experts<\/h3>\n

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Many jurisdictions consider involving youth and families directly affected by the child welfare system in decision-making and service delivery an important aspect of their equity work. Lived experts who participate in the REIC5<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0underscored the importance of early, meaningful, and ongoing involvement<\/a>, as opposed to Isolated advisory opportunities that unlikely to have long-term impact and have the potential to tokenize and re-traumatize. In Hawaii<\/strong>, people with lived experience are members or co-leads in most work groups that shape policy and practice within the Social Services Division\u2019s Child Welfare Services Branch. \u201cWe have made real contributions to systems change,\u201d said Chassidy Kruse, a parent partner at EPIC \u2018Ohana<\/a>, a social services agency that prioritizes family and youth engagement. \u201cI\u2019ve seen input taken into consideration and have a beneficial impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In Lucas County, Ohio<\/strong>, paid parent mentors6<\/sup><\/a> work in several different agency programs as part of an intentional effort to change how people experience the system, and youth advisors7<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0are informing the development of a new building and services for youth aging out of foster care. In Washington<\/strong>, Passion to Action<\/a> is a statewide youth board that advises the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Members provide input, feedback, and recommendations regarding agency policies, practices, publications, and training. In North Dakota<\/strong>, elevating the voices of parents and other lived experts is a goal of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)<\/a> Implementation Partnership Grant. Parents have been involved in planning and training efforts to date, and a goal is to hire parents to work as ICWA family preservationists, staff who address barriers related to family preservation and help both families and child welfare teams understand the letter and spirit of ICWA law.<\/p>\n

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Leverage the power of data<\/h3>\n

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Data has the potential to drive change, but not without commitment and follow through. Digging deeply into disaggregated data with increasingly broad groups of staff, partners, and community members can create shared understanding of who is coming into foster care and why, build momentum for change, and determine where to focus in supporting families to prevent maltreatment. \u201cWe now require managers to look at how their unit\u2019s racial inequity data compares to the overall agency and why,\u201d said Judy Tudor Clark, assistant director of Clark County (Nev.)<\/strong> Family Services. \u201cThese are not conversations we have had historically. Threading this data in is how we are working toward our overall agency goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In Lucas County, Ohio<\/strong>, facilitated data walks<\/a> were one of the earliest activities of the race equity core group and evolved into a monthly activity that includes caseworkers. \u201cThe formation of a core group to analyze data and assess practice on an ongoing basis has been invaluable. The group\u2019s insights have led to action and measurable, positive outcomes,\u201d said Hope Bland, director of diversity, equity, inclusion and strategy in Lucas County. In Washington <\/strong>state\u2019s Department of Children, Youth and Families, agencywide public reporting of racial disparities<\/a> aims to drive improvement and increase accountability. Clark County (Nev.)<\/strong> is launching a ChildStat<\/a> process that combines case dialogue with data review and includes an explicit equity focus. The Utah<\/strong> Division of Child and Family Services is working with the University of Utah to conduct focus groups with community members and review its administrative data to identify key gaps and opportunities to advance equitable practices and outcomes.<\/p>\n

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In addition to disaggregating and using administrative data in new ways<\/a>, jurisdictions are reconsidering what data they collect, and in some cases, are collecting new data to inform their work. The Hawaii<\/strong> Department of Human Services is allowing children and families to self-identify given the limited race\/ethnicity designations embedded within federal reporting requirements. In order to identify potential racial bias, an assessment oversight group in Washington<\/strong> is reviewing more than 40 assessment tools used by the state Department of Children, Youth and Families. In Michigan<\/strong>, the Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing data collection efforts to develop recommendations for improving the accuracy and reliability of race equity data. The Illinois <\/strong>Department of Children and Family Services\u2019 Office of Racial Equity is developing an internal anti-racist equity assessment toolkit to help teams, divisions, and agency partners craft specific race equity plans.<\/p>\n

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Acknowledge that sustained change requires commitment<\/h3>\n

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While some changes can be implemented quickly, sustained adaptive change to shift mindsets requires time and resources, especially when it is embedded across an organization rather than treated as a standalone initiative. \u201cWe need more time and space for conversation, for reflection, for sharing, for practicing different habits and different leadership,\u201d said Kelly Knight, director of organizational health at Franklin County<\/strong> Children Services in Ohio. \u201cWe need everyone in it for this change to take hold.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Resource constraints have been challenging in some jurisdictions, and the work has accelerated in contexts where legislatures or agency leaders have allocated funds to support training, planning, and staffing. Participants shared both pros and cons related to the creation of dedicated equity-focused positions and teams within agencies, such as the new Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategy in Lucas County, Ohio<\/strong>. Bland, who directs that department, explained that its function grew to include additional direct staff as well as the quality assurance and training and development departments. \u201cThis infrastructure helps drive the mission and ensures that equity is embedded throughout and is considered central, not an addition.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This area of work is demanding and can result in some staff taking on additional duties, leading new teams or processes. This can be unsustainable long term, and particularly challenging given unprecedented turnover challenges currently facing many jurisdictions. However, when new roles or offices are created, momentum sometimes can slow as new relationships are built and workplans are created.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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I learned what it meant to be Black before I learned to ride a bicycle. But learning I\u2019m not alone, and having people alongside me, is so important. Knowing that I can talk with colleagues about this, and be supported and not judged, is huge.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Leticia Pittman, Director of Child Welfare, Catholic Charities of Western Michigan<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Commit to ongoing dialogue<\/h3>\n

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Changes to specific policies or practices can be sustained when the conditions, mindsets, and biases that hold the status quo in place are surfaced and addressed. This means that ongoing dialogue and a commitment to transform organizational culture are at the heart of this work. \u201cOnce I saw that this was important to my agency and not just another temporary initiative that was going to get swept under the rug, I began to feel more valued,\u201d said Tiffany Carr, a case management analyst at Clark County (Nev.)<\/strong> Family Services. \u201cWe\u2019re having uncomfortable conversations. It\u2019s important that we continue to have these conversations and build trust internally.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In jurisdictions where open dialogue has been established, participants shared powerful testimonials about improvements in organizational culture and personal motivation. In many cases, what began as one-time or occasional events evolved into sustained activities. In Franklin County, Ohio<\/strong>, Equity Lens Town Halls began during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued throughout 2020 and 2021 as forums for staff to talk about issues unfolding in the community and country. Similar staff listening sessions were developed and sustained in Clark County, Nev<\/strong>. In Utah<\/strong>, monthly directors\u2019 chats have become an important vehicle for child protection agency leadership to reflect together on what it means to lead for equity. In Washington<\/strong> and Michigan<\/strong>, after participating in foundational anti-racism training, staff with shared racial identities meet regularly in caucus groups for dialogue and reflection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Shifting practices, policies, and resources<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

This work is evolving across REIC jurisdictions, and many teams are grappling with how to identify and prioritize strategies that address root causes. Many have faced significant challenges, including resistance and turnover, that can slow the work. Many concrete steps have been taken, however, that can improve experiences and outcomes for children and families. Examples of such changes, in the areas of practice, policy, and resources, are described below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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We were engineering too much of our approach to avoid risk. Racial bias combined with a traditional approach to risk management was toxic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Frank Ordway, Chief of Staff, Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Practice<\/h3>\n

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Areas of practice change that participating jurisdictions are making cut across roles and decision points within the child welfare system. In Montana<\/strong>, the Yellowstone County ICWA Family Recovery Court has increased access to culturally appropriate services for American Indian families through a partnership with the Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center<\/a>. In 2022, Illinois<\/strong> began planning a three-year bias-free child removal pilot<\/a> focused on decreasing the overrepresentation of children of color in out-of-home placements in three counties. In South Dakota<\/strong>, a racial equity core team is developing a prevention-focused diversion program, focused on supporting American Indian families. The Michigan <\/strong>Department of Health and Human Services has deepened its collaboration with tribal government partners since 2020, including a written acknowledgement of past mistakes and specific collaboration commitments<\/a> that all partners agree to follow and use to drive decision-making. In Utah<\/strong>, an evidence-informed family teaming model prioritizes family voice in decision-making, beginning as early as possible in a case.<\/p>\n

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Policy<\/h3>\n

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Policy and rule changes aimed at advancing equity in child welfare outcomes are being pursued in many jurisdictions. Denver County<\/strong>, Colo.<\/strong>, reviewed agency hiring and drafted a reclassification for bilingual social workers. In Utah<\/strong>, the Division of Child and Family Services championed a 2021 statutory ban<\/a> on the use of hair follicle and fingernail testing in child welfare proceedings to detect illegal drug use, based on concerns that they were racially discriminatory. In Washington<\/strong>, when the child protection agency found that people of color were being turned away from serving as caregivers based on past crimes unrelated to child safety, the agency pursued changes to the background check process and had certain misdemeanors removed as disqualifiers. In late 2021, the Illinois<\/strong> Legislature passed a bill adding an implicit bias module<\/a> to training for all mandatory reporters, with retraining required once every 3 years.<\/p>\n

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Resources<\/h3>\n

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In addition to investing resources in staff training, several jurisdictions have created dedicated positions, consulting roles, or units over the past several years to advance race equity work, such as the new department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategy in Lucas County Children Services in Ohio<\/strong>. While the large equity-focused team at the Texas <\/strong>Department of Family and Protective Services was eliminated in 2017, the department managed to successfully rebuild the unit in 2021, expanding from a single position dedicated to disproportionality to a team of four that leads a range of initiatives including professional learning for staff, and data-driven review of practices, policies, and procedures. Contracting is another area where resources are being allocated with an intentional focus on racial equity. In Franklin County, Ohio<\/strong>, an increased focus on how child and family service providers approach diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident across the contracting process, from request for proposal development to proposal review and selection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Moving forward<\/h2>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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We have tried not to approach this as an initiative, or something new with a beginning and an end. We have dedicated our own internal resources. We are figuring out what the right pace is \u2014 moving quickly enough that people know we are being responsive, without pushing so hard that people step out of it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Tonya Myrup, Deputy Director, Utah Division of Child and Family Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Jurisdictions participating in the REIC are approaching this work in different ways, with different tools, and in very different environments. However, several common areas of opportunity lie ahead for most teams:<\/p>\n