The Adultification of Black Girls in State Care: Perspectives

The adultification of Black girls leads to them being perceived as being older than they are and held to behavioural expectations that exceed their age. This issue is particularly acute for Black girls in state care who often experience adultification in their dynamic with their parents prior to entering state care, in the form of adultification bias from professionals and foster parents in their time in state care and in the form of an adultified transition from state care. The study comprised of interviews with scholars in the USA and Canada to explore some of the causes of this issue and potential solutions that professionals that work with Black girls in state care could potentially use to address it.