A joint report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Rights Union has revealed major flaws in the US child welfare system that have led to large numbers of children, especially those from minorities and poor families, being unfairly removed from their families of origin.
The report notes that children are often traumatized by being separated from their parents, and many children are abused or even sexually assaulted while under investigation or in foster care. The data also showed that African-American children, who make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, accounted for 24 percent of children surveyed for welfare and were more likely to be separated from their families, with Native children entering the foster care system at nearly twice the average rate.