Abstract
BackgroundStreet-involved youth are more likely to experience trauma and adverse events in childhood; however, little is known about exposure to the child welfare system among this vulnerable population. This study sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of being in government care among street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada.MethodsFrom September 2005 to November 2012, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study, a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14–26 who use illicit drugs. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with a history of being in government care.ResultsAmong our sample of 937 street-involved youth, 455 (49%) reported being in government care at some point in their childhood. In a multivariate analysis, Aboriginal ancestry (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50 – 2.85), younger age at first “hard” substance use (AOR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05 – 1.16), high school incompletion (AOR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.00 – 1.95), having a parent that drank heavily or used illicit drugs (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.09 – 2.01), and experiencing physical abuse (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.22 – 2.96) were independently associated with exposure to the child welfare system.ConclusionsYouth with a history of being in government care appear to be at high-risk of adverse illicit substance-related behaviours. Evidence-based interventions are required to better support vulnerable children and youth with histories of being in the child welfare system, and prevent problematic substance use and street-involvement among this population.
Highlights
Street-involved youth are more likely to experience trauma and adverse events in childhood; little is known about exposure to the child welfare system among this vulnerable population
In multivariate logistic regression factors that remained independently associated with our outcome of interest included: Aboriginal ancestry, younger age at first hard substance use (AOR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05 – 1.16), high school incompletion (AOR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.00 – 1.95), having a parent that drank heavily or used illicit drugs (AOR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09 – 2.01), and being a victim of physical abuse (AOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.22 – 2.96)
In the present study of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada, we found that experiences of being in government care in childhood were common, especially for youth who were of Aboriginal ancestry, victims of physical abuse, had not completed high school, had parents that drank heavily or used illicit substances, and had initiated first hard substance use at an earlier age
Summary
Street-involved youth are more likely to experience trauma and adverse events in childhood; little is known about exposure to the child welfare system among this vulnerable population. The struggle for youth exposed to the child welfare system continues well into early adulthood with elevated rates of poverty, underemployment, housing instability, incarceration, unplanned pregnancies and subsequent government involvement with parenting, mental health, physical health and substance use issues [5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13]. Given this profile, youth with a history of being in government care may be at greater risk for substance misuse and street-involvement. We sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of youth with a history of being in government care among a cohort of street-involved youth who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
