Resource parents during two pandemics: Navigating racism and COVID-19

By Kenyon Lee Whitman, Matthew Ruderman, Vanessa Perez, Jill Waterman, Todd Franke, Audrey K. Langley
Published in Journal of Public Child Welfare.

ABSTRACT
The emergence of COVID-19 created a global health crisis and impacted children and families, disproportionately affecting minoritized communities. Simultaneously, protests and anti-racist uprisings against police violence occurred worldwide. This mixed method study examined how a group of racially diverse resource parents navigated these two pandemics. Resource parents (N = 527) in Los Angeles County were surveyed about concerns related to COVID-19, racial injustice, and the sociopolitical climate. Quantitative findings revealed that increased difficulty coping with COVID-19 was associated with the increased reported impact of events surrounding racial injustice. Qualitatively, resource parents expressed a concern for children and stress, anxiety, and fear.

KEYWORDS
COVID-19, racial injustice, resource parents, child welfare, transracial families

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