Kinship care and sibling placement: Child behavior, family relationships, and school outcomes

Abstract

Using Child Protective Services (CPS) and Long Term Foster Care (LTFC) samples from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), this study examines 2488 observations of 1415 different children to investigate relationships among kinship foster care, sibling placement, and child welfare outcomes, including youth behavior, family and caregiver relationships, and school performance. Although a growing body of literature has addressed issues of kinship placement and sibling placement, no prior studies have examined outcomes of both types of placement, including possible interactions when placements involve kinship foster care of sibling groups. This article first provides an overview of research concerning outcomes of kinship foster care or joint placement of siblings in foster care. Following discussion of the study's samples and variables, the article presents both descriptive and regression analyses of outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of the substantive findings, their implications, and limitations.