Racial Equity

  • Equity in Kindergarten Readiness

    Equity in Kindergarten Readiness

    Although the statewide rate of kindergarten readiness has improved somewhat over the past six years (as measured by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills assessment), this change has not benefitted all racial/ethnic groups equally. The readiness rates for American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander children remain substantially below the rates for children from other groups. Readiness rates for Black/African American children increased briefly, but have recently fallen. Asian and White children continue to have the highest rates of kindergarten readiness and those rates have increased faster than have the rates for other groups. Equity in kindergarten readiness is an outcome indicator for our strategic priority to eliminate racial disproportionality and advance racial equity.

    Kindergarten Readiness by Race/Ethnicity, 2015-2022 School Years
      kinder readiness
     
    Early Learning
    Racial Equity
    Strategic Priority Outcome

  • Disproportionality in Child Welfare

    Disproportionality in Child Welfare

    Child welfare disproportionality is another outcome indicator for our strategic priority to eliminate racial disproportionality and advance racial equity. DCYF tracks disproportionality in Child Welfare across multiple decision points, using Disproportionality Ratios. Scores of 0 – 0.99 indicate that, compared to its proportion in the population, a group is underrepresented at that decision point, while scores of 1.1 and greater indicate that a group is overrepresented. Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and White children and youth are overrepresented compared to their representation in the underlying population.

    Much of these disproportionalities in placement are attributable to disproportionalities at intake.

    READ THE WASHINGTON STATE CHILD WELFARE DISPARITY INDICES REPORT

    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for All Child Welfare Intakes (Screened Out or Screened-In), 2014-2022
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    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for Screened-In Child Welfare Intakes, 2014-2022
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    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for Child Welfare Removals, 2014-2021
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    Child Welfare
    Racial Equity
    Strategic Priority Outcome

  • Room Confinement and Isolation

    Room Confinement and Isolation

    Clients in JR can be placed in room confinement (locked in the room designated for their sleeping, during times when other clients are outside of their rooms) or in isolation (locked in a room that is not designated for their sleeping, often a padded room). DCYF tracks the 30 day rate of room confinement and isolation for clients released from residential facilities each state fiscal year (SFY). In SFY 2023, the 30 day RCI rate for Hispanic clients was 2.97, meaning that Hispanic clients who released in SFY 2023 experienced, on average, 2.97 RCI events every 30 days, during their stay with JR.

    Thirty Day Rate of Room Confinement/Isolation by Race/Ethnicity, SFY 2017-2023
      depressed adults
     
    Juvenile Rehabilitation
    Racial Equity

  • Community Facility Placement

    Community Facility Placement

    All clients in JR start at an institution. After they have spent 10% or 30 days of their sentence in an institution, most clients can be considered for placement in a community facility. DCYF tracks the disparity ratio of community facility placement. A ratio of 1.0 indicates that clients of that race/ethnicity are placed in community facilities at the same rate that they are placed in JR. A ratio above 1 indicates that group is placed at a higher frequency, and a ratio below 1 indicates that they are placed at a lower rate than their overall population in JR.

    Racial/Ethnic Disparity Ratios for Community Facility Placement, 2017-2023
      depressed adults
     
    Juvenile Rehabilitation
    Racial Equity

  • Discretionary Parole Placement

    Discretionary Parole Placement

    Approximately 50% of clients in JR are assigned to parole aftercare. Although about half of parole assignments are mandatory based on a client’s committing offense, the remaining half of parole assignment is based on JR discretion. DCYF tracks racial/ethnic disparity in discretionary parole placement using a Disparity Ratio. A value of 1.0 indicates that clients of that race/ethnicity are placed on parole at the same rate that they are placed in JR. A ratio above 1 indicates that group is placed at a higher frequency, and a ratio below 1 indicates that they are placed at a lower rate than their overall population in JR.

    Racial/Ethnic Disparity Ratios for Discretionary Parole Placement, SFY 2017-2023
      depressed adults
     
    Juvenile Rehabilitation
    Racial Equity

  • Disparity in Child Welfare

    Disparity in Child Welfare

    Where disproportionality identifies the over or under representation of a group compared to that group in the underlying population, disparity identifies inequity after a child or youth has entered the system by comparing the proportion of a group at a decision point to the proportion of that group at a prior decision point. DCYF tracks disparity in Child Welfare using Disparity Ratios; a disparity ratio of 1.0 would represent no change between decision points, whereas ratios greater than 1.0 indicate that the group proportion has increased since the prior decision point. An increase means that other racial/ethnic groups have exited the system to a greater extent by this point and is a sign of disparity.

    Racial/Ethnic Disparity Ratios for Out-of-Home Care Placements within 12 Months of Intake, 2014-2021
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    Racial/Ethnic Disparity Ratios for Out-of-Home Care Lasting Longer than Two Years, 2014-2019
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    Child Welfare
    Racial Equity

  • Disproportionality in Subsidy Enrollment

    Disproportionality in Subsidy Enrollment

    From 2016 to 2021, subsidized child care programs have enrolled between 27 - 42 percent of the income-eligible population of children under 5 years of age in Washington State. Black/African American children have been consistently over-represented, while other groups have, in most years, been slightly under-represented to varying degrees.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE

    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for Child Care Subsidy Uptake, School Years 2016-2021
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    Early Learning
    Racial Equity

  • Disproportionality in ECEAP Enrollment

    Disproportionality in ECEAP Enrollment

    Each year, around 15,000 children are enrolled in Washington's Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP). DCYF tracks disproportionality in ECEAP enrollment using a Disproportionality Ratio. A disproportionality ratio of 1.0 would indicate that children of that race/ethnicity are enrolled in ECEAP at the same rate they exist in the underlying income-eligible population. For the past few years, Black/African American children have been slightly over-represented in ECEAP enrollment, while American Indian/Alaska Native children have been slightly under-represented.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT ECEAP

    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for ECEAP Enrollment, School Years 2016-2022
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    Early Learning
    Racial Equity

  • Race/Ethnicity of Children and Youth in Out-of-Home Care

    Race/Ethnicity of Children and Youth in Out-of-Home Care

    Since 2016, the proportion of White children and youth in out-of-home care has decreased by four percentage points, and the proportion of American Indian/Alaska Native children and youth has increased by four percentage points. The proportions of other racial/ethnic groups have varied by one or two percentage points annually.

    Children in Care by Race/Ethnicity, Last Day of SFY 2016-2023
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    Child Welfare
    Racial Equity

  • Relative Placement

    Relative Placement

    On the last day of the state fiscal year, 2023, there were 5,969 children in out-of-home care. Washington has one of the highest kinship care placement rates among all states in the nation. On the last day of the state fiscal year, 2023, 55.9 percent of all children and youth under 18 in out-of-home care were placed with kin or relatives.

    Children Placed with Relatives, Last Day of SFY 2016-2023
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    Percent of Racial/Ethnic Group Placed with Relatives, Last Day of SFY 2016-2023
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    Child Welfare
    Racial Equity