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Everyone has power in the process except the parent. National figures show that Black and Native American children are disproportionately removed and placed in foster homes, according to numerous reports cited by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, an information portal operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Florida, Black children make up 20% of the child population but 30% of kids in foster care, state data shows. But it is poverty that experts believe has the greatest impact. Poor children are far more likely to be taken from their homes, in part because they are more likely to experience abuse and neglect. It s also because parents without money have fewer child care options and can’t afford private attorneys to advocate for them, experts say. Some are uneducated or illiterate yet are expected to understand case documents and legal agreements. ....