Decision Making

Purpose: Decision-making among child welfare professionals is complex, influencing both children and their families. Research has highlighted income and race as factors influencing decisions. However, limited research has focused on family structure issues despite the intersectionality family structure has with income and race. The primary aim of this study is to examine the effects family structure has on the decision-making process using the Florida Safety Decision-making Methodology. Three main research questions are posed: (1) How are removal decisions of case managers affected by family characteristics (family structure and race) for families involved with case management services? (2) How do family characteristics (family structure and race) influence the case managers’ safety assessment of families involved with case management services? And (3) How do family characteristics (family structure and race) influence case managers’ assessment of caregiving protective capacities for families involved with case management services? Methods: This study utilized an experimental 2x2 vignette design, which described a scenario of a family involved with case management services. The child’s family structure served as the independent variable with two levels: (1) two parent family or (2) single parent family. Race served as a moderating variable with two levels: (1) Black or (2) White. Population being studied. The convenience sample included 54 case managers working throughout the state of Florida. Data collection procedures. The study utilized primary data collection procedures, targeting case managers at several case management service agencies throughout Florida by employing a convenience sampling technique. Data collection began November 2016 and ended in March 2017. Data Analysis: Bivariate analyses, regression analyses, and a path analysis were utilized to examine the variables of interest. Results: Several relationships resulted in interesting trends in the data. The relationship between family structure and removal decision had a χ2 = 3.47 (p = .062) with a medium effect size (ϕ = .254). The relationship between the interaction of family structure and race and removal decisions also resulted in interesting data trends, as a higher proportion of case managers recommended out-of-home services to White, single parent families compared to all other family types. The final trend in the data indicate a relationship between the interaction of family structure and race on safety decisions. White single parent families are more likely to have a safety decision of “safe” compared to all other family types, a result contradictory to the findings on family characteristics and removal decisions. Discussion: Overall, family structure is a relevant but often overlooked factor related to decision-making among child welfare professionals. According to the results, family structure has an influence on removal decisions, a previously unexplored factor among decision-making research. Additionally, it is important to examine the full picture of the family to fully understand their multiple layers of discrimination. It is not race alone that biases decisions, it is a combination of factors, which need to be continuously examined to diminish the effects of biases when making decisions that impact families and their children. Limitations: Vignettes have been used as sound methodological approaches in many studies; however, a limitation of this design is that the vignette may not elicit a true response even if the scenario presents a true-to-life situation. Many variables are still uncaptured in these scenarios such as the relationship between the client and case manager, the family’s reaction to the case manager, and the perception the family has of the case manager, which are said to indirectly affect case decisions.