Initial impact of the California continuum of care reform act on youth’s experiences in out-of-home care

Abstract

In 2015, California passed the Continuum of Care Reform Act (CCR), reforming the state’s policy regarding placement and treatment for youth in out-of-home care. We conducted an initial assessment of the short-term impact of the CCR in a large urban county, focusing on the extent to which the legislation (a) increased placement stability, (b) decreased reliance on congregate care, and (c) reduced the time it takes for youth to be placed in family-based care (i.e., kin or foster care) during the first two years of its implementation. We compared two years of placement data among 359 maltreated youth (aged 6–18 years) whose placement experiences occurred before, during, or after the CCR was enacted. Findings were mixed regarding the CCR improving youth placement experiences: Youth had fewer placement changes during and after the CCR compared to before; however, youth did not differ in the proportion of time they spent in congregate care before, during, and after the CCR was implemented. Finally, a greater proportion of youth received at least one family-based placement prior to the CCR’s implementation than afterward, but the time until youth reached these placements did not differ across groups. Implications for youth, local counties, and other states considering similar reforms are discussed.