Eliminating Disparities & Reducing Disproportionality:
The Role of Information Management

An effective information management system can ensure that relevant data are collected to identify the presence of disparities and disproportionality in the public child welfare system. Data and information provide the basis for understanding this pervasive issue -- a situation when a particular racial/ethnic group of children are represented at disproportionately higher rates than those from other groups or the apparent inequity in the provision of services which produces disparities. Data are analyzed and mined to alert supervisors and leaders to other differential impacts resulting from disparities and disproportionality.

Information management is a critical component in examining disparities and disproportionality. One way information management is used to address this issue involves the impact at various decision points when a child or family is first introduced to the public child welfare system. Those decisions points include: whether a report is made, whether it is substantiated, if the child is removed from the home or does the family qualify for in-home services - all decisions that ultimately impact the outcome for this particular child or family.

As agencies develop or upgrade information management systems, staff that are working to eliminate disparities and reduce disproportionality can play an integral role. They provide a better understanding about the use of data collected related to disparities and disproportionality as well as ideas about how to collect the appropriate data. During various phases of this process, these staff members are also essential in communicating and building agency-wide support for the importance of this work. A highly effective agency will be empowered in using data to inform decision-making rather than functioning in an environment where data are seen as the “thing” that will reveal bad information about performance -- particularly when addressing key but controversial topics such as disparities and disproportionality.

Collection of data is imperative to understanding the problem and evaluating how to address disparities and disproportionality. In important ways, data form the most powerful tool in first identifying this issue and then tackling it. A cautionary note regarding this issue is the notion that some agencies may not systematically focus on capturing certain types of data because of a general feeling of being “color blind.” The Reducing Disparities and Eliminating Disproportionality guidance identifies a variety of indicators to examine before determining to what extent an agency is experiencing disparity and/or disproportionality. It is important to note that the presence of either does not necessarily equate to ineffective or unsuccessful processes, procedures or programs. Information management systems are most effective when they provide leaders and staff with critical data and analysis capabilities to identify client characteristics, report quantitative and qualitative analysis, monitor agency performance and measure effectiveness.