By Elizabeth Jordan, Sharon Vandivere, and Esther Gross, Child Trends, June 7, 2022
Both the early childhood and child welfare systems are investing in promising new ways to support families with young children, particularly as they strive to recover from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to become more equitable. Families with young children have faced a set of unique challenges during the pandemic, as already fragile child care centers and family-based child care have faced obstacles in providing care, jobs have become less secure, inconsistent connection to material supports has caused emotional strain for both children and parents, and access to food and housing has destabilized. These challenges are even more deeply rooted for families of color, whose health is impacted by both individual and systemic racism and who have been systemically denied—both historically and in the present—equitable access to many public support systems and opportunities.
The child welfare system, which includes both child protective services and out-of-home placements such as foster care and kinship care, has also faced a myriad of challenges during the pandemic, many of which are unique to services and supports within this system —such as the need to adjust to virtual services, hurdles in accessing personal protective equipment for case workers, slowed processes for licensing and approving foster and adoptive homes, postponed visits for parents and siblings, and delayed services and court proceedings due to social distancing requirements. These challenges were also exacerbated for families of color, who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, there were disparities by race and ethnicity across each stage of child welfare involvement. Disproportionate numbers of families of color—particularly Black and Native American families—experience the trauma, stress, and stigma of child welfare investigations and family separation through foster care. (For more information on these issues, see the resources provided in the “Background resources on the child welfare system” box.)
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