Factorial dimensions of the characteristics of children in placement and their families.

Abstract

It has been estimated that there were some 286,000 children living in foster family care and in institutions for dependent and neglected children in the United States during 1960. Of these, 72 per cent were residing with foster families and 28 per cent were in institutions.2 Unfortunately, many of these youngsters-very few of whom are orphans-will continue to live in limbo for many of their childhood years, neither returning to their own families nor being given the opportunity to sink roots with new families through adoption (4). The vulnerability of these children is suggested by recent studies which show an association between foster care experience and subsequent mental illness and deviant social careers (I, 7). Surprisingly, despite the large number of children involved, there has been relatively little research about the characteristics of children in placement and the families from which they originate. In the face of this void, Maas and Engler undertook a major descriptive study of children who