City Council Oversight Hearing: Racial Disparities in the Child Welfare System
Published
October, 2020
CCC Policy and Budget Analyst Meryleen Mena testified before the City Council General Welfare Committee on October 29, 2020 at an oversight hearing focused on racial disparities in New York City’s child welfare system. Our testimony discusses several critical issues concerning inequities in the child welfare system and its importance as the city supports New York City’s children and families through the COVID-19 pandemic
First, the testimony calls attention to the disparate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Latinx communities: as of mid- October, Black and Latinx New Yorkers are still being hospitalized and dying from this virus at more than twice the rate of white and Asian residents.
Second, we know that poverty is a significant driver of child welfare
involvement. In New York City, Black and Latinx families—who have the highest poverty rates in the City make up nearly 80% of child welfare investigations and 89% of the foster care population, despite representing only 57% of New York’s child population.
Finally, CCC drew attention to the critical role the preventive service system has played in responding to the heightened needs of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
