Drug exposed infants in the social welfare system and Juvenile Court

Termination of Parental Rights for Parents with Substance Use Disorder: For Whom and Then What?

“…Boys are significantly more likely to be physically abused than girls (Hershkowitz, Lamb, & Horowitz, 2007;Sobsey, Randall, & Parrila, 1997), putting them at risk for child welfare involvement, our results indicate that boys are significantly less likely than girls to be removed from their home. Inconsistent with other studies, which suggest that African American children were overrepresented in the child welfare system (Anyon, 2011) and TPR cases (SagatunEdwards, Saylor, & Shifflett, 1995) and less likely to be reunified with their parents (Connell et al, 2006;Courtney et al, 1997;Davis, Landsverk, & Newton, 1997;Vogel, 1999;Zinn & Slowriver, 2008), we found that mothers of African American children were no more likely than white children to experience TPR, and Hispanic children were even less likely than African American and white children to be removed from their homes. It appears that TPR decisions are largely based on lack of treatment progress, regardless of race/ethnicity.…”

C.R.A.C.K.: A progeny of eugenics and a forlorn representation for African Americans

“…Cocaine and other drug use among African Americans and Hispanics have been well documented in the literature (Amaro, Whitaker, Coffman, & Heeren, 1990;Deren, Beardsley, Tortu, & Goldstein, 1999; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2002) as well as maternal substance abuse among these same populations (Finkelstein, 1994;Goldberg, 1995;Gustavsson, 1992;Hawk, 1994;Pursley-Crotteau, 2001;Sagatun-Edwards, Saylor, & Shiffiett, 1995;Wallace, 1991;Wilson, 1991). In 1994, approximately 739,000 pregnant women used illegal drugs annually, which resulted in 375,000 newborns exposed to drugs in utero yearly (Dore, Doris, & Wright, 1995;Hawk, 1994;Wallace, 1991).…”

Direct practice with substance abusing mothers in the child welfare system: A system perspective

“…The fact that minority mothers tend to be criminalized more easily than their White counterparts when AOD issues are involved (Chasnoff et al, 1990;Sagatun-Edwards et al, 1995) points to both the issue of inequity and the importance of culturally sensitive and competent practice in the legal systems (including the CWS). Practitioners and law enforcement, therefore, should strive to examine their possible racial and class biases when indicting minority mothers and should provide culturally sensitive and competent service for those mothers once they enter the system.…”