The Predictors of Unsuccessful Transition to Foster Care

Abstract

The placement movements of 235 children entering foster care over a 12-month period were followed up 4 months after referral into care. Baseline and follow-up measures of the 170 children who were still in care at follow-up were also compared. Results indicated that adolescents with mental health or behavioural problems were the least likely to achieve placement stability or to display improved psychological adjustment in care. In fact, unsatisfactory transition to foster care was found to be so prevalent among these children that conventional foster family care should be considered unsuitable for them. The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for a wider range of alternative care options for the adolescent population.

Is higher placement stability in kinship foster care by virtue or design?

“…This suggests that at least some children who initially entered NRFC were inappropriate for family foster care in the first place, a claim that has been noted elsewhere in this field of study (Barber et al, 2001). Similarly, qualitative data suggest that, in the event of caregiver-requested moves, many placements may have been maintained if the child welfare system had provided appropriate services, but the majority were considered unsalvageable due to safety concerns, verbal abuse, or criminal activity (Gilbertson & Barber, 2003).…”

“…At the same time, these factors associated with selection into placements are often also associated with instability. Evidence suggests that age, history of sexual abuse, and behavior problems are the best predictors of placement instability (Barber, Delfabbro, & Cooper, 2001; Chamberlain et al, 2006; James, 2004; Oosterman, Schuengel, Wim Slot, Bullens, & Doreleijers, 2007). In addition, placement changes may exacerbate existing behavior problems (Newton et al, 2000), which is consistent with data suggesting that each placement change increases the risk of a subsequent placement change (Webster et al, 2000).…”

Psychiatric Rehospitalization of Children and Adolescents: Implications for Social Work Intervention

“…The study's finding that externalizing behaviors, such as oppositional defiant behaviors, were linked to instability in placement out of the home (in this case, rehospitalization), has been found frequently in research (e.g. Barber et al 2001;James et al 2004James et al , 2006. Only recently has a study uncovered the causal direction of disruptive behaviors and unstable placement patterns.…”

Measurement and correlates of foster care placement moves

“…Non-progress moves could occur because there were insufficient supports and assistance to maintain the placement, or because the placement was a poor fit to the child’s needs to begin with and no amount of support would have mattered. Some scholars have argued that children with substantial mental and behavioral problems are so unlikely to be successful in a non-restrictive setting that such placements yield a near guarantee of instability (Barber, Delfabbro, & Cooper, 2001). Similarly, although some non-progress moves could be avoided with support or services, breakdowns that occur due to safety concerns are unlikely to be salvageable (Gilbertson & Barber, 2003).…”