Racial disparities in child welfare: A propensity score matched analysis of Black and White children in Canada

Findings indicate that Black children were investigated for maltreatment at 2.27 times the rate of White children. Out-of-home placement rates were also higher (3.4 vs. 1.9 per 1000; 1.79 times per capita). After matching, Black children remained more likely to be placed in out-of home care, with a rate more than double that of their white counterparts (3.1 % vs. 1.5 %; LR = 0.004, p = 0.004) CONCLUSION: These findings highlight a compounded effect of bias across Black children's CW trajectories, suggesting a need to address both structural and institutional factors that contribute to disparities in CW investigations and out-of-home placement decisions.