Edwards et al Many households but never a home sto-WT_Summaries

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Edwards et al Many households but never a home stories of resistance from Black youth navigating placement instability in Ontario_s child welfare system.pdf Made by Wordtune | Open Page 1 Abstract The child welfare system has a responsibility to maintain young people's safety and permanency, but many young people living in out-of-home care experience placement instability. This article shares the findings from a qualitative narrative analysis conducted on 27 interviews with Black Caribbean youth. Introduction When children are removed from their caregivers, the child welfare system has a responsibility for maintaining children's safety and ensuring permanency. Family reunification is the primary goal for children who enter care. Page 2 Trocmé and colleagues argue that stability during care is as important as permanency after spending time in OOHC, and can benefit children in their continued development and ability to maintain relationships with their friends, family, and community. Black children are more likely to be involved with the child welfare system, receive poorer quality of placements, remain in care longer, and are less likely to reunify with their caregivers. This has particular relevance for placement stability. With increased awareness of the negative outcomes associated with placement instability, legislation and policies have been implemented to ensure shorter stays in care and greater placement stability. Placement instability is a term used to describe a pattern of placement changes that do not result in permanent care with a child's biological and/or adoptive family. Research has documented a correlation between youth behavior and placement disruption. James and colleagues found that 20% of placement changes were related to child and youth behavioral concerns, Leathers found that over half of youth experienced a placement disruption due to behavioral issues, and Rozalski and colleagues found that males were more likely to engage in delinquent behavior compared to females. Page 3 Outcomes of placement instability Studies indicate that experiencing multiple placement moves is associated with early pregnancy and childbirth, mental health concerns, substance abuse, and

delinquency. Disruptions in placement can also impact children's schooling and relationships in their communities and with their friends. Strolin-Goltzman and colleagues discuss the need for youth in foster care to articulate and be heard with respect to their experiences regarding placement instability. Black foster youth spend more time in care than other racial/ethnic groups. Many Black youth in care experienced negative experiences navigating whiteness and anti-Black racism. Their hair needs were not met, which was a meaningful indicator of the full range of cultural and self-care needs that were unmet while living in care. Page 4 The current study In Ontario, Black children, youth and families experience disproportionality and disparity in the child welfare system. This study aimed to amplify the voices of Black youth regarding the often pathologizing understanding of their difficult or aggressive behaviors, which can lead to their multiple placement transitions. Theoretical framework Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Anti-Black Racism Theory are theoretical frameworks that challenge governing understandings of race, law, and systemic inequalities. Counter-stories are powerful tools utilized by Black young people as narrations of their lived experiences. Anti-Black racism is a form of violence that occurs both globally and locally. It is also an intricate phenomenon that reinforces discriminatory structural inequities for Black communities, and is a response to state violence that is enacted on Black communities. Page 5 Sample This research analyzes qualitative data from 27 in-depth interviews with Black Caribbean youth aged 16 - 26 years from Canada, who have lived experiences navigating the Ontario child welfare system and spending time in OOHC (adoption, kinship and foster/group care). We utilized a combination of two sampling approaches: a purposeful sampling method that relied on the lead author's organic social network and a snowball sample that utilized the networks of the youth who participated in the study. The data was collected from 27 youth participants between July 2018 and January 2020. Seven of the 27 youth identified as LGBTQ+. Data generation This study employed a narrative inquiry, and the participants' experiences navigating the child welfare system were shared in the form of a chronological story. The stories were then told as narrated stories, and the lead author's understanding of Blackness and anti-Black racism was implicit.

Page 6 The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis and interpretation. Filler words, typographical errors, and identifying names were omitted to support clarity and confidentiality. Data analysis The coding process supported the ability to organize, manage, locate and display the emerging phenomenon, and allowed the lead author to re-immerse himself within the conversation. Counter-stories emerged in the analysis process, and were mobilized as an analytical strategy. The lead author focused on the content of the narratives and identified several counter-stories that reconstructed behaviors typically spoken of in OOHC. These narratives were informed by an implicit understanding of how Blackness is perceived, and how anti-Black racism is deployed in child welfare and other institutional settings. Narratives of instability Throughout the interviews, many Black youth discussed how placement instability impacted their wellbeing. They connected placement instability to how their behavior was understood, and how they were misunderstood when forced to navigate white spaces. Page 7 I caused problems in the five houses I went to, I wanted my mom, nobody explained anything to me, and then they whisked me out of there and put me in this house with all these white kids. Several Black youths expressed that they were frequently transitioned from one OOHC placement to another due to fights and emotional outbursts. Their stories underscore the need for Black youth to find safety and cultural comfort with whom they are living. When problematic behaviors occur for young people in OOHC, they are often documented and kept on file. However, in some instances, these very files can generate misconceptions regarding the young person based in the way they have been described and annotated. Page 8 Marsha shared how she went crazy after being sexually abused and damaged property in the care facility. She was transferred to a different home because of a decision made by the police and social worker. Tiana and Marsha shared instances where aggressive behaviors that were triggered due to their traumas were pathologized and subsequently led to their placement transitions. These experiences were exacerbated by an overlay of the ways in which anti Black racism informs both the perception of problematic behavior as well as the response.

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