Typologies of Children in Foster Care for Reasons Other than Abuse or Neglect

Abstract

In Kansas, 45% of foster care placements occur for reasons besides child abuse or neglect. Yet little is known about their critical characteristics. By learning more about these cases, policies and practices can be tailored accordingly. This research utilized a statewide random sample (n = 254) of target children entering care in 2005. Two-step cluster analysis was used to generate typologies. Comparisons were made relative to child, parent/caretaker, and child welfare service variables. The analyses yielded five distinct clusters: infants, preschoolers, grade-schoolers, adolescents without prior abuse/neglect, and adolescents with a history of abuse/neglect. Our findings indicate that these cases represent a variety of individuals with different service needs, only a minority of whom fit the structures traditionally designed for abuse/neglect cases.