“We Were in White Homes as Black Children:” Caribbean Youth’s Stories of Out-of-home Care in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

This article reports on an original study exploring the experiences of Black Caribbean youth who have navigated the child protection system in Ontario, Canada and discusses their reflections on the significance of caregiver's race in their experiences of out-of-home care. In 2015, the Children's Aid Society of Toronto (CAST) released data showing Black youth as representing 40.8% of youth in their care despite the Black population only accounting for 8.5% of the Toronto population. The same report indicated that 72% of Black children in out-of-home care with this agency were in foster or kinship homes with Black caregivers (CAST, 2015). Data on caregivers' race for other agencies in Ontario is currently unavailable to the public (OHRC, 2018). However, a growing collection of anecdotal accounts from Black youth and their families suggests that it is common for Black youth in out-of-home care in Ontario to be placed in homes with White caregivers

“It’s Not a System of Care”: Black Youth’s Stories of Family Separation and Anti-Black Racism in Ontario’s Child Welfare System

“…Although there are instances where the child protection system may be helpful to families, research has consistently documented the shortcomings of Ontario's child welfare system to adequately support Black families (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021;Clarke, 2012;. Black families have described how navigating the child welfare system can at times be traumatizing and unhelpful, leading them to question the necessity of OOHC as an intervention (Clarke, 2011;Taussig & Munson, 2022).…”

“…Black families have described how navigating the child welfare system can at times be traumatizing and unhelpful, leading them to question the necessity of OOHC as an intervention (Clarke, 2011;Taussig & Munson, 2022). For example, Black youth in OOHC reported experiencing placement and worker instability, instances of cultural loss, barriers to connecting with their biological families and communities, obstructions to their educational participation, as well as a lack of support that often extended to their transition from OOHC (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021;Edwards, Brisbane, et al, 2023;Taussig & Munson, 2022).…”

“…Transracial Placements for Black Youth. Transracial placements refer to the placement of young people in OOHC with caregivers whose racial and cultural backgrounds are different from their own (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021). Due to the lack of diversity among caregivers and the limited availability of foster homes, transracial placements often result in Black children being placed with white caregivers.…”

“…Due to the lack of diversity among caregivers and the limited availability of foster homes, transracial placements often result in Black children being placed with white caregivers. Although transracial placements are not unique to Black youth in OOHC, they pose one of the most significant threats to Black youths' cultural connections and positive identity development; these placements are also associated with increased externalizing behaviors among Black youth (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021;Jewell et al, 2010). While the full impacts of cultural loss on Black youth in OOHC are not yet known, some research suggests that placing Black youth with Black caregivers may act as a protective factor against cultural loss as they described a sense of familiarity with the environment, having their hygienic and cultural needs met, and receiving support navigating structural and interpersonal forms of anti-Black racism (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021;White et al, 2008).…”

“…Existing literature in Ontario lacks an in-depth examination of the impacts cultural loss has on Black youth in OOHC, particularly, as it relates to their familial, community, and cultural connections (Akuoko-Barfi et al, 2021). This study seeks to fill this gap in knowledge and build on previous studies by empirically exploring the narratives of Black youth navigating OOHC (Our HairStory, 2019).…”