US: ‘No matter what I do, I’m not in control’: what happens when the state takes your child (Commentary)
Guardian – October 11, 2023
Each year, over 250,000 US children like Anthony enter foster care. This forcible family separation – among the most extreme and intrusive government actions – occurs much more often than many realize, particularly among Black and Native American families. A staggering one in eleven Black children and one in nine Native American children will be placed in foster care by the age of 18. As the law and sociology professor Dorothy Roberts has compellingly articulated, this is a stark manifestation of historical and ongoing racial oppression, as well as a means through which this oppression persists. CPS is authorized to intervene when children are unsafe – that is, likely to experience severe abuse or neglect. But perceptions of child safety are highly discretionary. Families that come to CPS’s attention are typically navigating issues such as substance misuse, domestic violence, mental health needs, and homelessness, with insufficient resources to address these challenges. This means that family separation essentially punishes parents and children for their poverty and adversity. Just as prison constitutes a central institution in the lives of marginalized men, CPS and foster care looms large for marginalized women raising children.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/11/us-child-protective-services-family-mother