Half a million children are currently in the United States foster care system. Unfortunately, some will endure multiple placements. In 2002, 73% of the children in the U.S. who were in care longer than four years had 3 or more placements [1].
Multiple placement is defined as more than two placements in one year while in foster care, also referred to as placement instability, or placement disruption. Children placed less than twice in a year are referred to as "stabilized".
Predictors of Multiple Placement
What is behind the repeat moves? According to a review of literature by the Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) from 2004, one or more of the following were factors in placement instability:
- Problem behaviors
- Mental health problems
- Educational difficulties
- Prior instability
- Older age of child
- Length of time in foster care
The Research Center also found that almost one-half of all re-placements were either policy-related or related to problems in the foster home or agency.
Another study's findings indicate that 20 percent of all changes are behavior related. Risk is highest during the 100 days after entry into care, suggesting that factors contributing to behavior-related placement change might be present when a child enters care. [2]
Effects of Placement Instability
Abuse and/or neglect already in a foster child's history, disruption contributes more negatives, such as:
- Lack of continuity of care
- Inability to form bonds/attachment
- Inability to trust
- Emotional/mental/behavioral issues
- Lack of permanency
- Angish from breaking of bond of foster family
According to the CFRC's stability report, stabilized children were much more likely to receive therapy, be rated as less deliquent/aggressive, less attached to the birth mother and more likely to be placed with competent foster parents than their disrupted counterparts [3].
Establishing Permanency
The National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning recognizes factors that increase permanent placement:
- Children are placed with kin.
- Children, parents, and foster parents receive more services.
- Children and parents are involved in case planning.
- Workers have more frequent contact with birth parents.
Programs to Prevent Disruption
The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (CFSIA; PL 109-288) required states to develop plans by June 20, 2008 that would ensure that at least 90% of children in foster care will be visited by their caseworkers on a monthly basis and that the majority of those visits will take place in the child’s residence.
Keeping Foster and Kin Parents Supported and Trained: The objective of KEEP is to give parents effective tools to deal with problems of their children. The intervention increased chances of a positive exit and mitigated the effects of multiple placements. Incorporating intervention approaches may improve placement outcomes [4].
Fostering Individualized Assistance Program (FIAP)-A wraparound strategy which parallels the foster system using key people in the child's life. Compared to children in standard foster care, FIAP children with, or at risk for, emotional/behavioral disorders showed improved emotional and behavioral adjustment [5].
The children of foster care are too great in number to be ignored. Proper placement, attention to training of foster parents, caseworker contact, and the goal of permanency are areas requiring focus. Programs encouraging the fewer placements and monitoring of individual children not only promote familial relationships for the child, but also give him a chance at becoming a well-adjusted member of society.
References:
[1 ] U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, "Child welfare outcomes 2002: Annual report", Washington, DC, 2005.
[2] James, Sigrid. "Why Do Foster Care Placements Disrupt? An Investigation of Reasons for Placement Change in Foster Care," Social Services Review, Dec, 2004 78:4, 601-62.
[3] Placement Stability Study, Children and Family Research Center, U Illinois, 1999.
[4] Price, J.M., "Effects of a foster parent training intervention on placement changes of children in foster care", Child Maltreatment, 01 Feb. 2008; 13(1): 64-75.
[5] Clark, H., "Improving Adjustment Outcomes for Foster Children...," Journal Emotional and Behavioral Disorders,18 Oct 1994, 2:4, p207.
Janelle Ray - Janelle holds a B.S. in Nutrition and an M.S. in Physiology. After working as an exercise physiologist and personal trainer, she chose to ...
