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At PCHAS, we envision a world where every child is safe, every family is strong, and hope outshines hardship.
One of the ways we bring hope to children in foster care is by finding safe, loving families who want to learn about and honor the cultures and traditions of the children they welcome. This is especially important for African American children, who experience a heightened level of disproportionality within the system.
Racial disproportionality occurs when there is a misrepresentation of a group compared to their prevalence within the total population. For example, roughly 12% of children in Texas are African American, yet 28% of Texas children in foster care are African American. They are over-represented in a system where Hispanic (the largest group) and white children are under-represented.
Many factors lead to and perpetuate disproportionality, but systemic racism and bias are largely to blame. Racism has led to and perpetuated poverty for many people of color, increasing encounters with community resources for food, housing, and healthcare. People of color face more scrutiny, which leads to higher investigation rates. Once engaged with “the system” bias can influence the findings of investigations and entangle families in generational cycles of child welfare system involvement.
What does this all mean?
African American children are more likely to be the subject of a child welfare investigation, more likely to be confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect, and more likely to end up in foster care. If they enter the foster care system, African American children spend an average of 71 more days in care and experience more placement instability than kids who are white or Hispanic.
Guided by Christ's love, PCHAS empowers children, young adults, and families by nurturing their strengths, resilience, and faith. We believe in preventing abuse and neglect, restoring families, and ensuring every child experiences the love of family. A child's skin color shouldn't predict ruptured relationships, and it shouldn't disconnect them from their story.
Our beliefs aren't just words; they guide everything we do. PCHAS provides preventative services to strengthen families and prevent abuse and neglect. We're also committed to finding a family for every child who needs one. Foster care is sometimes necessary, and every child deserves a loving home. It takes all kinds of families to meet the unique needs of each child and sibling group. Whether families and children share the same background or not, we know that love creates a space where everyone learns and grows together.
Are you interested in learning about the culture and experiences of others? Do you believe that every child should have a safe, loving, nurturing family? We want to get to know you!
Here are three ways to connect:
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