Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States: Predictors of placement stability in long term foster care

Abstract

Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children have migrated to the United States in recent years, particularly from Central America, but also from a range of other countries. These children are fleeing unprecedented levels of violence in their home countries, and often are seeking reunification with parents and family members (i.e., sponsors). Some children are not able to live with a sponsor, and these children are placed in federally funded foster care. Yet, virtually nothing is known about how these children fare during placement. Literature related to domestic child welfare has demonstrated the importance of placement stability to children's future well-being. Using an exploratory design, the purpose of this study is to examine the placement stability of unaccompanied youth while in long term foster care from 2012 to 2015, and how pre-migration, transit, and post-placement risk factors are each associated with placement changes for these children (n=256). Results show that experiencing violence in home countries, and significantly acting out while in care, were associated with a higher likelihood of changing placements. Migration-related trauma was not significant, but fear of returning to home countries, and suffering trauma unrelated to migration, each was associated with a lower likelihood of changing placements. Children from Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) were more likely to have experienced a failed family reunification prior to entering foster care. These results are discussed in light of the need to adopt a global perspective in child welfare that interprets children's behavior in the larger context of pre-migration experiences and culture.