Introduction to Sociology Podcast: Recent Episodes
Alexandra Veselka-Bush
The Racialized Nature of Child Welfare Policies and the Social Control of Black Bodies
Kathi L. H. Harp and Amanda M. Bunting
Black women are disproportionately involved in the child welfare system. This
state-level intervention occurs at two levels—a higher likelihood of being (i)
screened for drug use during pregnancy and (ii) reported to child welfare authorities
after delivery. Consequently, they face further enmeshment in state-systems,
including custody loss and lower reunification odds. Using evidence from the past
forty years of research and media reports, we argue that systemic forces and policies
largely contribute to racial disproportionality in the child welfare system, and
assert this state intervention serves as a mechanism to control black reproduction.