Minority Advisory Committee
MAC was established based off of an initiative of the National CASA organization and Advocates for Children, to address the overrepresentation of minorities in the child welfare system and the underrepresentation of minority CASA volunteers to advocate for them.
According to the National Census data for 2005 – 2007, there are 9.4% of African Americans and 16.6% Hispanics that live in the general population in Arapahoe County. However, both groups of minorities are entering and remaining in foster care almost double their general population rate. Not only are they entering and remaining at higher rate but they are receiving fewer and lower quality services, fewer contacts by caseworkers, less foster parent support and less access to mental health and drug treatment (Lisette Austin, Uneven Ground: The Disproportionate Representation of Children and Families of Color in the Child Welfare System, 2007).
In order to address this issue, MAC’s mission is to not only recruit more minority volunteers within the community, but to also retain our experienced minority volunteers that have strayed away. We also plan to educate all of our current volunteers on how to be more cognizant and sensitive to the child’s heritage, culture, ethnicity, religion and family structure.
Advocates For Children Programs
Advocates For Children
