Intersecting Traumas: Out-of-Home Placements, Racialized Experiences, and Suicidality Among Black Girls in Ontario’s Child Welfare System

Black children and youth remain disproportionately represented within child welfare systems across Canada, yet limited research has examined how Black girls experience trauma within out-of-home placements and how these experiences shape mental health and suicidality. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Black young women who aged out of care in Ontario, Canada, and explores how cumulative and intersecting forms of trauma, affected their emotional well-being and mental health. Drawing on critical race theory, Black girlhood studies, and critical suicidology, the study conceptualizes trauma as relational, structural, and cumulative rather than as a singular event. Findings drawn from six out of 10 participants reveal five key themes: dysfunctional foster families and complex traumas; trauma of multiple placement; lack of mental health support for the initial and ongoing traumas they experienced while in care; and mental health impacts of out-of-home placements and exposure to traumas and suicide-related behaviours of other youth in care. The participants highlighted the links between their experiences in foster care and the increased risk of suicide-related thoughts and behaviours. The findings highlight the need for models of care that are racially affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive for child welfare and mental health interventions for Black girls in out-of-home placements. The key limitation of the study is the small sample size.