Minority populations in the child welfare system: The visibility hypothesis reexamined.

Abstract

This study tests the "visibility hypothesis," which suggests that there is a higher probability for minority children to be placed in foster care when living in geographic locations where their proportions in the population are relatively low, compared to areas where their proportions are high. Results support the hypothesis for African-American youth only. Explanations of the findings, and their implications for research and practice, are discussed.