Cultural Brokers
The purpose of Cultural Broker Educational Services is to educate African American, African, and other under-represented families involved in the child welfare system in child welfare laws, system processes, communication, and early intervention strategies that enhance child safety and training to enhance cultural competencies for Child Welfare Services (CWS) staff/social workers.
Numerous studies and statistical evidence indicate significantly greater proportions of African American children enter and remain in foster care than children of other races. Forty-six States have disproportionate representations of African American children in their child welfare system. In seven states, including California, the proportion of African American children in foster care is considered “extreme”.
Research shows that foster care youth are far more likely than their peers in the general population to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised health, unemployment, incarceration and other adversities after they leave the foster care system. Disproportionate representation of African Americans in the child welfare system has been of concern for many years. The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) CWS recognizes there must be multiple, targeted efforts to connect children with permanent, healthy families, such as birth families, kinship families, or adoptive families.
Cultural Broker services has aided in the reduction of the disproportionate representation of African American children in Central San Diego CWS by educating families on child safety, child welfare laws and system process, life skills, effective communication skills, prevention and early intervention strategies that enhance child safety and provide linkages to support services. This program provides education and support in a variety of ways to strengthen birth families of children, to keep kids safe and prevent unnecessary removal.
In addition, women and their families are empowered because of a wealth wrap-a-round services that are referred internally within the Urban League or with one of the many collaborative partners in the community to help strengthen the family core. This includes parenting workshops as well as individual and group education for home ownership, credit repair, job connections, and rental rights and responsibilities.
Contact a Cultural Broker at (619) 263-5370