Child and Family Separations

Child welfare and family separation policies are demonstrably racist as shown in studies, reports, and in the public discourse. Numerous reports show that Black children are overrepresented in the foster care system, which can be best explained by Institutional and Systemic Racism. In many cases, a court decision to separate a child from their family turns on the evaluation by a psychologist. Despite the known harms to Black families, the American Psychological Association says nothing about this harm in its "Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters". Furthermore, the APA's apology fails to address this harm, and much less, correct it. Ultimately, this system continues to terrorize Black children and Black families and has long-lasting consequences for the child, the family, and the community.