Racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service use among children in foster care

Children in foster care show elevated need for mental health services, and there is some evidence of greater unmet need among racial/ethnic minority youth compared to Caucasian youth. This paper reviews the evidence for racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service use among children in foster care, including previously published data, as well as new, unpublished data, and examines the extent to which the disparities persist when the effects of other service use predictors are accounted for. Potential explanations for racial/ethnic disparities in service use are also explored, including cultural differences in help seeking and factors associated with decision-making processes in child protective service systems.