Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Mark Gordon

Abstract

Families of color in North Carolina have been disproportionately affected in the child welfare system, particularly in the foster care system. The purpose of this qualitative research study examined the discretionary powers of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigators and how they interpreted and applied child welfare policies that disproportionally impacted African American families from marginalized, underrepresented communities. Guided by Wallander and Molander’s professional discretion as the framework, this research expanded the current literature and increased awareness of racial disproportionality and the continued disproportionality of African American children in the child welfare system, especially foster care placements. The central research question explored how CPS investigators used discretionary powers to interpret and apply child welfare policies in foster care placements. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants with at least two years of experience in CPS in North Carolina and semistructured interviews with eight CPS investigators. Data were analyzed through the development of coding and themes. The key results of the study included that professional discretion in decision-making was hindered by a lack of resources, training, funding, rereferrals, and worker burnout. The recommendations of the study included informing child welfare professionals about the agency’s challenges and expectations to enhance workplace culture using service-modifiable factors. The impact of this study on positive social change included using an antiracist lens to explore policy, practice, and organizational culture, holding stakeholders accountable for achieving transformation.

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