Child protection as surveillance of African American families

The over-representation of black children in US out of home care results from racial bias in placement decisions and a political choice to address startling rates of child poverty by investigating parents instead of tackling poverty\u27s societal roots. The impact of state disruption and supervision of African American families is intensified when it is concentrated in inner-city neighbourhoods – the system\u27s ‘racial geography.’ A small case study of a black neighbourhood in Chicago with high rates of out of home placement found profound effects on both family and community social relationships, as well as reliance on child protective services for financial assistance, linking surveillance of black families to the neoliberal shrinking of public programmes. The surveillance of African American women by the child welfare system is also intensified by these women\u27s disproportionate involvement in the prison system. Acknowledging racial bias in child welfare reveals the need to radically transform the system from one that relies too much on punitive disruption of families to one that generously supports them

Policies and services affecting parenting

The health and well-being of families is significantly influenced by government policies and funding that directly and indirectly support the critical role of parenting. Many policies that impact parents’ ability to be present and active in children’s lives stem from changes in social structures and the need to address other issues affecting society, such as the need to create a sustainable and productive workforce, rather than being developed explicitly to meet parents’ needs. As the structures and nature of families have changed, more family-focused policies have emerged to provide direct support to parents and families. The way in which this support is provided to families varies across countries based on a country’s priorities, values and cultural expectations. However, providing assistance to those who are most vulnerable remains a key focus across nations, with welfare, child maltreatment, and health care policies all having an impact on the health and well-being of parents and children. As the importance of parenting has become more widely recognized, parenting-specific policies and initiatives directly targeting the role of parenting have also begun to emerge, with positive outcomes evident for families and the broader community. This chapter provides an overview of such policies that have implications for the role of parenting and the impact that these policies have had on child and family well-being