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Case 3.4 - What Am I Missing?

The Role of Intersectionality in Child Welfare Practice and Professional Relationships

from Part III - Case Studies in Mezzo-Level Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2025

Monique A. Constance-Huggins
Affiliation:
Winthrop University, South Carolina
Emily C. Pate
Affiliation:
Winthrop University, South Carolina
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Summary

The case demonstrates how disproportionality and disparity for children and youth of color are significant concerns in child welfare. Black children in the United States experience higher rates of child welfare investigation, removal from their families of origin, termination of parental rights, placement moves, fewer appropriate services, and are less likely to be reunified with their parents compared to White children. Because African American children are less likely to exit foster care through reunification than White children, increasing reunification rates for African American families is one way to address racial disproportionality and disparity in child welfare cases. Considering intersectionality through a CRT lens is essential for providing culturally appropriate service in the foster care/child welfare system.

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Type
Chapter
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Critical Race Theory in Action
Knowledge and Application in Social Work Practice
, pp. 97 - 110
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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