Defining a Foster Care Placement Move: The Perspective of Adults who Formerly Lived in Multiple Out-of-Home Placements

Abstract

Several studies have demonstrated that children who experience multiple placements are more likely to experience behavioral problems and are less likely to achieve reunification. However, little is known about how move transitions–-from one foster home to another, from foster care to birth family home, or between family placements and group care facilities–-are perceived or experienced by children in foster care, or those formerly in foster care. This qualitative study examines the definition of foster care placement moves from the perspective of adults formerly in foster care. Participants identify both physical and psychological shifts as key dimensions of the placement change experience. Some study participants viewed returning home as “just” another placement. Implications for child welfare policy, research, and practice are briefly discussed.