Children In Long-term Foster Care Research Articles

Social workers’ accounts of custody and custody transfers in cases of homicidal violence

ABSTRACT This article analyses Swedish social workers’ accounts of custody when a parent is in remand prison or prison due to homicidal violence that has resulted in the death of the other parent. How do social workers justify or excuse assessments of custody and custody transfers? What legal dilemmas can be discerned? The empirical material comprises six group interviews with 14 Swedish social workers based on two fictional vignettes. The interviews have been analysed using accounts theory and in relation to how social workers reason about their discretion. The social workers used four main accounts related to assessments of custody: Time and stability in foster care, Legal context, Deficient parenting and Kinship relations. The results show that although social workers believe that deadly violence is a serious risk factor and consider transferrals of custody to foster parents to be an important tool for safeguarding children in long-term foster care, custody decisions are also assessed in relation to possible rejections in courts, the legal basis for placement (compulsory care or voluntary placement) and the children’s age. The length of imprisonment of the parent appears to be an important factor for suggesting a custody transfer in cases of homicidal violence. The results are discussed in relation to the legal context and the protection of children.

Family bonds of foster children. A qualitative research regarding the experience of foster children in long-term foster care

• Foster children’s view of the concept family is pragmatic and open-minded. • Foster children believe they fare better in their foster than in their birth family. • The relationship of foster children with their birth family is complex. • Parental visits are frequently overshadowed by conflicts and problems. • Siblings have a prominent place for foster children. This qualitative research describes how 27 foster children, aged 12–18 years placed in long-term family foster care, experience the concept ‘family’. Foster children had a pragmatic and open-minded view of the concept ‘family’, transcending the conventional definition of kinship. In general, they were remarkably satisfied with the foster family and considered them as real family. They often believed that they fared better in their foster family than in their family of origin. The presence of other children in the foster family was usually perceived as positive. The relationship with their birth family was complex. Although sometimes considered as no longer belonging to their family, foster children in general spoke about their parents with loyalty and eagerness to forgive. But they were also concerned, sad, and angry. During visits often fun activities were done, although frequently overshadowed by conflicts and problems. Siblings had a prominent place, although the foster care placement sometimes troubled contacts between siblings. Creating a context in which foster family and family of origin can contribute to a positive development of the foster child is an important task for foster care workers.

The Reunification of American Indian Children in Long-Term Foster Care

AbstractObjective: The literature examining reunification for American Indian children reveals mixed findings regarding racial differences. Studies that isolate the impact of race on reunification ...

Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care: Identifying needs and best practices from a child welfare perspective

The numbers of unaccompanied children immigrating to the U.S. from Central America have increased drastically in recent years, and as many as 35% are eventually placed in long term foster care (LTFC) while in the custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Yet, the research literature has been largely silent on the unique needs of these children while in care, or how practitioners can best respond to these needs. Drawing data from 22 focus groups with professionals and foster parents (n=79) in two large organizations serving unaccompanied children in LTFC, the current qualitative study is designed to address these gaps. Analysis of data followed a grounded theory approach of open and axial coding to develop themes. The most pressing needs of children in care include securing appropriate and stable foster placements for youth; promoting connections in the community; ensuring adequate education and independent living skills; difficulties with acculturation; trauma and mental health issues; and issues related to legal status. Current strategies to address these issues include supporting culturally competent foster placements; providing English-language training; promoting relationships in the community such as mentors; and providing health and health-related services. Future research and practice should include a specific focus on those youth most marginalized in the education system, particularly those who lack language skills and formal education. The provision of culturally appropriate, trauma-informed care is needed in practice, as is the need to establish culturally valid trauma assessments. More work could be done to sensitize communities to the unique needs and strengths of unaccompanied youth as they integrate into U.S. society. For these children, a sense of permanency will likely entail building strong relationships in their local community that can help sustain them when they leave foster care.

Continuity for children after guardianship versus adoption with kin: Approximating the right counterfactual

Over the past two decades there has been a rapid increase in the number of children and youth living in guardianship and adoptive homes who were previously in foster care. Further, previous studies compared outcomes for children in guardianship homes to those for children in adoptive homes, despite the fact that many factors likely affect the selection of foster youth into different types of permanent placements. This study examined two counterfactuals for guardianship as a permanent placement type: adoption only and adoption or long-term-fostercare (A+LTFC). Longitudinal outcomes were tracked for children who exited foster care with relatives through guardianship (N=4,884) or adoption (N=12,163), as well as children in long-term foster care with relatives (N=4,840). Propensity scores were used to match children on key indicators. In the matched sample of guardianship versus adoption cases only, children who exited to guardianship were more likely to experience discontinuity than children who exited through adoption, 11% vs. 6% respectively. However, when guardianship was compared to the combination of adoption or long-term foster care, children in guardianship experienced the same proportion of discontinuity, 11% vs. 11% respectively. These results suggest that simply matching guardianship to adoption without taking into account LTFC may be the wrong way to estimate the “what if” counterfactual if children were not discharged to guardianship. Findings also support the use of guardianship as a potential solution for children in LTFC whose caregivers are not planning to adopt.

Addressing childhood obesity among children in care: The missing link to promoting physical well-being outcomes

ABSTRACTInformation on the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States abounds. However, the impact of overweight and obesity specifically among children receiving child welfare services (children in care) has received little attention. Although relatively little is known about obesity among children in care, limited studies suggest children in foster care are disproportionally affected, with children in long-term foster care or group homes at highest risk. Although child welfare work has not historically focused on reducing and preventing childhood obesity, child welfare agencies have an obligation to protect children’s physical and mental well-being, and the social work profession is uniquely qualified to deliver evidence-based obesity mitigation efforts among children in care.

Placement stability in non-kinship foster care: variables associated with placement disruption

In Spain research has been conducted into the outcomes of foster care, although there is a need for further analysis, especially as regards the variables associated with placement disruption. In 2008 (T1) was collated information on all foster placements that were registered in three Spanish provinces. In 2014 (T2), data were gathered by reviewing the children's case notes and through interviews with the social worker responsible for each case. The resulting sample comprised 104 non-kinship foster children in long-term foster care who were being fostered in 86 families. The results obtained at T2 showed that the percentage of children who were still living with the same family (68.3%) was greater than the proportion of children whose circumstances had changed (31.7%). The social workers considered that placement disruption had occurred in 27 of the 33 cases. One of the main finding was placement disruption was associated with the older age at the time of being fostered and the emotional relationship quality between children and foster carers. A regression analysis showed that low levels of warmth and communication in the relationship between child and foster carers were shown to be a predictor of placement breakdown. Implications for practice are discussed.

Placement disruption in long-term kinship and nonkinship foster care

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to placement disruption in long-term kinship and nonkinship foster care in a Nordic country. The study included 136 children aged 4–13 years in kinship and nonkinship foster care in Norway in the year 2000, with updates for the year 2008. Placement and demographic information and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were collected from foster parents and youths. Generalized linear mixed model analysis was undertaken. A thorough literature review was done in order to study association between disruption and relevant variables. None of the predominant variables from previous literature were significantly associated with disruption for this sample of children in long-term foster care. Since long-term stable foster care (rather than adoption) is the preferred option in Nordic as well as some other European countries, there is a need to explore the processes of inclusion that give children a lifelong commitment to their foster families.

Understanding and Working with Parents of Children in Long-term Foster Care by Gillian Schofield and Emma Ward

Understanding and Working with Parents of Children in Long-term Foster Care by Gillian Schofield and Emma Ward

Demographic and Placement Variables Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Children in Long-Term Foster Care

Overweight and obesity is a growing problem for children in foster care. This study describes the prevalence of overweight and obesity in an urban, ethnic minority population of children ages 2-19 in long-term foster care (N=312) in Los Angeles, California. It also investigates whether demographics or placement settings are related to high body mass index. The estimates of prevalence of overweight/obesity (≥85th percentile) and obesity (≥95th percentile) were presented for gender, age, ethnicity, and placement type. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine potential associations between demographic and placement variables and weight status. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was almost 40% and obesity was 23% for the study population. Children placed in a group home had the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity (60%) and obesity (43%) compared to other types of placement. Within this study, older children (ages 12-19) were more likely to be overweight/obese than normal weight compared to children between 2 and 5years old when controlling for gender, ethnicity and placement (OR=2.10, CI=1.14-3.87). These findings suggest that older age and long-term foster care in general may be risk factors for obesity. Child welfare agencies and health care providers need to work together to train caregivers with children in long-term foster care in obesity treatment interventions and obesity prevention strategies.

Preliminary effects of a group-based tutoring program for children in long-term foster care

Abstract Background Children in foster care are frequently behind in educational achievement (Flynn, Ghzal, Legault, Vandermeulen, & Petrick, 2004) and perform below grade level (Trout, Hagaman, Casey, Reid, & Epstein, 2008 for a review). Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct instruction literacy and math program (“Teach Your Children Well”; TYCW) in a small-group format to educationally disadvantaged foster care children. Method In the first year of this two-year study, 68 children in long-term foster care, between grades 2 and 8 inclusive, participated in this randomized control trial intervention. One-half of the children were randomly assigned to the 25-week experimental TYCW condition, while the other children served as waitlist controls. Children were assessed at baseline and post-intervention on reading decoding, spelling, sentence comprehension, and mathematic skills using an academic measure of functioning, the Wide Range Achievement Test Forth Edition (WRAT4). Results Based on preliminary year one data, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated a statistically significant increase in standard scores on reading decoding and spelling skills for those in the tutoring condition, but statistical group differences were not obtained for mathematics or sentence comprehension. Meaningful effect size differences, in the small-to-moderate range, were found in favour of the tutoring intervention with respect to reading, spelling, and mathematics skill development. Discussion: Implications of the findings for improving the educational outcomes of foster children are provided.

A national study of the impact of outpatient mental health services for children in long-term foster care

Despite the tremendous mental health need evidenced by children in foster care and high rates of use of mental health services among children in foster care, little is known about the impact of outpatient mental health services on the behavioral health of this population. This study utilizes data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), the first nationally representative study of child welfare in the United States. A subsample of 439 children who have experienced long-term foster care were included in this study. These data were used to estimate the impact of outpatient mental health services on the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems of children in long-term foster care. A propensity score matching model was employed to produce a robust estimate of the treatment effect. Results indicate that children who have experienced long-term foster care do not benefit from the receipt of outpatient mental health services. Study results are discussed in the context of earlier research on the quality of mental health services for children in foster care.

Factors associated with reunification: A longitudinal analysis of long-term foster care

Longitudinal analysis and a secondary sample of 411 children were used to examine how child welfare worker engagement with families and parent receipt of needed services shaped the outcomes for children in long-term foster care. The data came from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Multinomial logistic regression showed reunification to be likeliest for neglected children who had caseworkers deeply involved with their families; whose families needed housing and financial assistance but not domestic violence services, specifically; and who were provided appropriately matched services. Adoption was likeliest for neglected children who had caseworkers deeply involved with their families; whose families needed substance-abuse services but not housing services; whose families had a high risk of re-reporting; whose parents were married; who were White and relatively young; and who had experienced foster care for relatively longer periods. Implications for services and training are discussed.

The profile and progress of neglected and abused children in long-term foster care

Objectives This study compared the profile of neglected and abused children in the Australian foster care system as well as differences between maltreatment types in relation to parental contact, reunification and psychosocial progress in care. Method The case files of 235 children entering foster care were examined and their social workers were administered standardised questionnaires at the point of intake. All measures were repeated for those remaining in care 1 year and then again 2 years later. Results Neglected children were younger than non-neglected children, more likely to have a physical or mental disability, more likely to experience multiple forms of maltreatment and less likely to pose conduct problems for carers. Neglected children were more likely than non-neglected children to experience a decline in parental contact over time, and were less likely to be reunified with their families of origin. There was minimal difference between neglected and non-neglected in their psychosocial progress while in care. Aboriginal children were more likely to be reunified than non-Aboriginal children when neglect was attributable to transient factors (parental incapacity) but the reverse was true for non-neglected children. Conclusions The fact that neglected children more often require a second form of maltreatment before being removed from home suggests that children's services workers are less inclined to remove children for neglect than for other forms of maltreatment. As a consequence, those neglected children who are in care tend to come from more dysfunctional families than non-neglected children do, as evidenced by the relatively poorer parental contact and reunification results of neglected children. Practice implications Neglected children differ systematically from non-neglected children and suffer relative disadvantage in relation to multiple forms of maltreatment, parental contact, and reunification. The fact that declines in parental contact among neglected children in care occurred only when indirect contact was provided suggests that, wherever possible, care plans should include face-to-face visits and overnight stays rather than being restricted to less direct forms of contact. The difference in the success of reunification according to type of neglect (chronic or transient) also suggests that parental intervention programs need to focus their efforts on chronic factors rather than transient parental factors.

Mental Health and Substance Use Problems of Parents Involved With Child Welfare: Are Services Offered and Provided?

Mental Health and Substance Use Problems of Parents Involved With Child Welfare: Are Services Offered and Provided?

Behavioral problems following reunification of children in long-term foster care

Although reunification is the most common and preferred exit from the U.S. foster care system, little is known about the well-being of children following foster care. Even less is known about reunification following long-term foster care. Geographically limited studies suggest poor behavioral outcomes following reunification. A secondary data analysis was performed using a subsample of 604 children from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW) who had experienced at least 8 months of foster care. Multiple imputation (MI) was employed to address missing data. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and propensity score matching are used to explore the role of risks and reunification in children's well-being from baseline to 36-month follow-up. Results indicate that reunification has no direct effect on behavioral outcomes, but is associated with increased risks in the family context of children who are reunified. Findings highlight the complex nature of the relationship between reunification and behavioral outcomes, as well as the need for reunification interventions that specifically target parental mental health and children's internalizing behaviors. Reunification research using longitudinal data and qualitative methods is recommended to clarify risks and outcomes across time.

Are foster parents reliable informants of children's behaviour problems?

Clinicians and researchers primarily measure behavioural and emotional problems of children in foster care from carer-report checklists. Yet the reliability of these reports is not adequately established. The present study examines one indicator of reliability for foster parent checklist reports: interrater agreement between foster parents and teachers. Estimates of interrater agreement of foster parent and teacher responses on the cross-informant scales of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF) were obtained for 47 children in long-term foster care, aged 5-11 years. The estimates included calculations of agreement for continuous measures of problem behaviour, as well as for categorical determinations of clinically significant behaviour. Correlations of CBCL and TRF mean raw scores for the total problems (r = 0.71) and externalizing (r = 0.78) scales exceeded those described in prior studies of parent-teacher agreement, while correlation for internalizing scores (r = 0.23) was similar to that found previously. Teachers and foster parents demonstrated moderate to good agreement (kappa = 0.70-0.79) in identifying clinically significant total problems and externalizing problems, but poor agreement in identifying internalizing problems. Discrepancies between these and prior findings are discussed. For children in long-term foster care, foster parents or teachers may be used as informants for total problems, externalizing problems, and social-attention-thought problems. The reliability of data on internalizing symptoms is less certain.

A Framework for Family Visiting for Children in Long-Term Foster Care

Research has determined that family visiting for children in long-term foster care can be beneficial for children; however, there is a demonstrated gap between research and practice. This article reviews the existing literature to demonstrate the diverse, positive possibilities for children and develops a theoretical basis for a framework for family visiting for these children. Suggestions for successful family visiting and coping with reactions to visiting are discussed, as are common obstacles and methods for overcoming them.

The Splintered Holding Environment and the Vulnerable Ego

This paper describes the developmental dilemmas of children in long-term foster care whose permanent placement is delayed for years. Developmental theory and clinical research postulate the psychological risks to children who face the continuous threat of primary object loss. The detailed account of Matthew's case illustrates the effects of early neglect, abuse, and multiple separations on ego development.Matthew was removed from his birth mother at thirteen months but was not adopted by his foster mother until he was seven years old. He entered therapy when he was four. The clinical material reveals not only his strong will for survival but also his gradual internalization of the fear of primary object loss, his extreme narcissistic vulnerability, and his hypervigilance concerning danger, abandonment, and annihilation. He had great difficulty controlling his impulses. With some technical modifications, treatment enabled Matthew to strengthen his capacity for object relatedness, self-reflection, and learning. The paper demonstrates how important it is for social welfare agencies and the courts to be more cognizant of developmental theory and to recognize the need for earlier permanent placement determinations.

Book Reviews

Journal Article Book Reviews Get access Children in Long-Term Foster Care: Emotional and Social Development, Colette McAuley, Aldershot, Avebury, 1996, v + 196 pp. ISBN 1 85972 252 0, £35. HELEN COSIS BROWN HELEN COSIS BROWN Head of Department of Social Work Counselling, Learning Disabilities and Mental Health University of Hertfordshire Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 27, Issue 5, October 1997, Pages 775–776, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjsw.a011267 Published: 01 October 1997