Service Utilization in the Child Welfare Systems: An Inquiry into the Experiences of African American Grandmother Caregivers

Priscilla A. Gibson
School of Social Work
University of Minnesota
105 Peters Hall
1404 Gortner Avenue
St. Paul, MN  55108
PGIBSON@che.umn.edu
Purpose: This qualitative study explored the lived experience of African American grandmothers within the child welfare systems, such as child protective services, economic assistance and juvenile justice. Data were analyzed using grounded theory.
 
Methods: Thirteen African American grandmothers volunteered to be informants. A semi-structured interview guide explored interactions such as (a) favorable and unfavorable experiences, (b) barriers to the systems and interacting with the professionals in them, (c) access issues, (d) unmet needs of grandchildren, and (e) recommendations to increase effective interactions with the systems. Informants were interviewed for 60 to 90 minutes. One focus group was also conducted as a triangulation method. Interviews and focus group were audiotaped and transcribed. Transcriptions were coded for themes and core concepts.
 
Results: Findings showed that African American grandmother caregivers are hampered when interacting with the child welfare systems. Three interrelated themes emerged: (a) personal factors, which is described as self imposed stress, and feelings about needing services; (b) systems' rules, which included required documentation and having to reveal very personal information; and (c) social workers' negative attitudes toward grandmothers as caregivers, which involved questioning grandmothers' competencies as caregivers and conducting unfair practices.
 
Implications for Practice: The results suggest that social workers need to prepare African American grandmother caregivers to effectively interact with the child welfare systems. This preparation ought to occur whenever there is an indication that a client is a grandmother caregiver, regardless of the site of social work services, and especially in child welfare systems. It should involve considering the many differences between the new clientele, relative caregivers and the traditional clientele, biological parents. The findings also indicate a need for training of child welfare workers regarding their attitudes toward relative caregiving.