Assistant Professor Abigail Williams Butler Awarded Grant to Uncover Influences on the Well-Being of Black Youth in Foster Care

Rutgers School of Social Work Assistant Professor Abigail Williams-Butler was awarded a $99,303 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for her project, “Centering the Needs of Black Children in Foster Care: Healthcare Utilization and Coordinated Medical Homes.” 

The study will use the framework of intersectionality to understand healthcare utilization for Black youth within foster care with the goal of reducing overreliance on the healthcare system and improving well-being outcomes for Black youth in care. Dr. Williams-Butler and her research team will utilize linked child welfare and electronic health records data for roughly 7,500 youth and incorporate the voices of young people in foster care using a research participant advisory council to evaluate the salience of multiple social identities on healthcare use variation, coordination of medical care, and health care outcomes. 

Understanding the mechanisms for racial disparities within the healthcare system for youth in foster care may increase positive health outcomes, decrease health care costs, and promote equity in health outcomes. “This study matters because it is critical to understand the many factors that influence the well-being of Black youth in foster care in an intersectional manner,” said Dr. Williams-Butler. “It’s important to the field of social work, in particular, because Black youth are overrepresented within the foster care system and allied systems. Our research will aid in understanding the unique mechanisms for well-being outcomes, particularly as it relates to health for youth in foster care.”

Dr. Williams-Butler will serve as Principal Investigator of the grant with Drs. Sarah Beal and Constance Mara, faculty members at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center (CCHMC), serving as co-investigators.