Does Context Matter? Differences in the Use of Congregate Care by Black,
White, and Hispanic Youth
Abstract
In the paper, we examine the relationship between county context and the
use of congregate care by White, Black, and Hispanic youth, aged between
10 and 17. We measure the use of congregate care as the probability a
young person will be placed in congregate care during an out-of-home
care spell. We define county context in three ways: urbanicity, social
disadvantage, and the supply effect on demand. We also include whether
states mandate the use of an assessment to regulate entry into
congregate care. Our primary interest is organized around differences in
county context, the rate of congregate care utilization, and the
connection between context and disparity. We find that, regardless of
race, congregate care placement rates tend to be higher in counties
where supply affects demand. However, in those counties, the Black/White
disparity tends to be lower and the Hispanic/White disparity tends to be
higher. The association between a mandatory assessment policy and
congregate care placement is in the expected direction. After describing
the study limitations, we discuss implications for future research and
policy.