Beyond blind removal: color consciousness and anti-racism in Los Angeles County child welfare
The UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families published a report looking specifically at the harm caused disproportionally to Black children and their families by the child welfare system, particularly at the intersection of child welfare systems and domestic violence in Los Angeles County. The report highlights the frequency with which allegations of domestic violence cause a family to be reported to the child welfare system and documents the harms caused to those families and the children themselves when the children are put into foster care.
A process called blind removal aims to reduce racial disproportionality by eliminating racial demographics from the removal decision-making process that follows an investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect. On July 13, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to pilot blind removal in the county.
“This pilot and conversation may be uncomfortable for some. However, from my perspective, the data compels us to seek out every practice that will help us guard against bias and, ultimately, the overrepresentation of children of color in our child welfare system,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who authored the bill. “In achieving fundamental change, we have to do what we’ve never done before to achieve results we’ve never experienced.”
Family separation dates back to the extensive period of slavery, from 1619 to 1865. Many Black families continue to feel the threat of separation today when it comes to the child welfare system. Consider the history, context, and intersectionality of the child welfare system and its impact on communities and families of color. This system and its professionals are often acting in response to the persistent consequences of racial injustice and structural inequality.