Ecological disruptions and well-being among children in foster care.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Hindt ◽  
Scott C. Leon
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children In Foster Care

Randomized Trial of PMTO in Foster Care: Six-Month Child Well-Being Outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becci A. Akin ◽  
Kyle Lang ◽  
Thomas P. McDonald ◽  
Yueqi Yan ◽  
Todd Little
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Prosocial Skills ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Cohen’S D ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Cohen's D

Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of Parent Management Training, Oregon (PMTO) model on child social–emotional well-being. Methods: Using a randomized controlled design and three measures of social–emotional well-being, the study investigated effectiveness of PMTO with families of children in foster care with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Participants included children (3–16 years) and parents who were randomly assigned to PMTO ( n = 461) or services as usual ( n = 457). Study condition was known to participants and assessors. Six months after baseline, analysis of covariance models examined the intervention’s overall effect and time interactions using intent-to-treat analysis. Follow-up analyses identified salient predictors of well-being. Results: PMTO demonstrated small but significant positive effects on three primary outcomes: social–emotional functioning (Cohen’s d = .31), problem behaviors (Cohen’s d = .09), and prosocial skills (Cohen’s d = .09). Conclusion: Results suggest that PMTO was effective at improving short-term social–emotional well-being in a high-risk population of children with SED.

Health Care Needs of Children in the Foster Care System

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 106 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 909-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Simms ◽  
Howard Dubowitz ◽  
Moira A. Szilagyi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Continuity Of Care ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Developmental Problems ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
The Impact

Nearly 750 000 children are currently in foster care in the United States. Recent trends in foster care include reliance on extended family members to care for children in kinship care placements, increased efforts to reduce the length of placement, acceleration of termination of parental rights proceedings, and emphasis on adoption. It is not clear what impact welfare reform may have on the number of children who may require foster care placement. Although most children enter foster care with medical, mental health, or developmental problems, many do not receive adequate or appropriate care while in placement. Psychological and emotional problems, in particular, may worsen rather than improve. Multiple barriers to adequate health care for this population exist. Health care practitioners can help to improve the health and well-being of children in foster care by performing timely and thorough admission evaluations, providing continuity of care, and playing an active advocacy role. Potential areas for health services research include study of the impact of different models of health care delivery, the role of a medical home in providing continuity of care, the perception of the foster care experience by the child, children's adjustment to foster care, and foster parent education on health outcomes.

scholarly journals "We Had to Rely on Each Other": Voices of Latinx Foster Youth with Experiences in Care with Siblings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Isabella Ginsberg
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Foster Youth ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Demographic Questionnaire ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Youth In Care ◽  
Children In Care

Relationships between members of sibling groups have been found to impact well-being for children who enter foster care (Herrick & Piccus, 2005). Being placed in stranger foster care is often challenging and can be traumatic with children reporting confusion, worry, and loss of identity and sense of belonging (Herrick & Piccus, 2005, Unrau et al, 2008). While there is some research that explores the experiences of siblings groups in foster care and others separately that examines Latinx children in foster care, there is very little information that looks into the potentially unique experiences of Latinx individuals who were in care with siblings that also accounts for cultural nuance. This study used a mixed-methods exploratory design with a demographic questionnaire and interview components that answers the research question: How do various factors affect the experiences of Latinx foster youth in care with siblings? Participants were invited to be interviewed either in person or over the phone. A constant comparative analytic method was used to analyze the interview transcripts to identify common themes. This exploratory study begins to discuss how social work practitioners and foster placements can better support this specific population of children in care. Findings suggest the importance of listening to foster youth and hearing their voices, understanding the role responsibility plays in familial relationships in the Latinx culture, and culturally responsive and individualized knowledge and care from social workers and foster placements.

Increasing School Success for Children in Foster Care and Other Residential Placements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aakanksha Sinha ◽  
Ruth G. McRoy
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Peer Relations ◽  
Grade Retention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
Social Growth ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Outcomes For Children

Every year thousands of children are removed from their families and are placed into out-of-home care. While these children are placed in care settings with a hope of a better future, they are often faced with many challenges that impact their short and long terms growth. As of 2017, 442,995 children have been removed from their families and placed in the U.S. foster care system for an average of 20.1 months. Placement occurs for several reasons, such as neglect, parent incarceration, drug abuse, and caretakers’ inability to cope. Twenty-seven percent (117,110) have been in care over two years, and all of these children face many obstacles in life that can impact their short- and long-term well-being. One of the most significant challenges they face is access to a stable educational environment that supports positive mental, emotional, behavioral, physical, and social growth. Frequent moves, lack of coordination between schools, and underdeveloped infrastructure to support unique needs are some of the significant predictors of disproportionately poor education outcomes for children in foster care and other residential settings. The lack of stable educational environment leads to a number of challenges related to enrollment, stability, access to special services, peer relations, grade retention, and caregiver and teacher familiarity with academic strengths and weaknesses of the child. To improve their educational outcomes, there is a need for advocacy and significant changes at the at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Consistent efforts need to be made by stakeholders, such as state and federal government, schools, child welfare systems, and community partners to address systemic inequities, improve current policies and practices, increase accessibility to quality schools, provide mental health services, and, most importantly, establish a stable environment that will enable the youth to flourish and succeed.

scholarly journals A Pilot Investigation of a Novel Intervention to Improve Behavioral Well-Being for Children in Foster Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne N. Wood ◽  
Susan L. Dougherty ◽  
Jin Long ◽  
Erica P. Messer ◽  
David Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Child Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Historical Comparison ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Child Behavioral Problems

Many studies have established a link between foster care placement instability and child behavioral problems. Evidence-based interventions for behavioral problems, however, are often unavailable to children in foster care given challenges of recruiting behavioral health providers, sustaining funding, and engaging families in intensive interventions. This pilot study, therefore, sought preliminary data on the effectiveness of a novel brief intervention, Child–Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE), to decrease behavioral problems in children entering foster care. CARE, a trauma-informed 6-hr training, was implemented at two foster care agencies. Nineteen children, aged 3 to 8 years, newly entering foster care whose caregivers were exposed to CARE were compared with 28 historical comparison children from the same foster care agencies. Child behavioral problems were assessed at baseline and follow-up using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Adjusted CBCL change scores revealed greater improvements in externalizing and internalizing behaviors from baseline to follow-up among children in the CARE group compared with the historical comparison group (all ps ≤ .05). The effect was concentrated in younger children. Thus, CARE showed promise in improving parent-reported child behavior problems. The effectiveness of CARE needs to be further evaluated as it is replicated within child welfare systems.

scholarly journals Effect of Psychotropic Medication on Foster Care Experience and Outcomes: A Causal Analysis using Administrative Data

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela You Gwaltney
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Administrative Data ◽  
Psychotropic Medication ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Study Results

Children in foster care experienced abuse, neglect, or dependency, and for the safety and well-being of the child, must be taken out of their biological home. Not surprisingly, children in foster care have higher rates of serious emotional and behavioral problems. Although pharmacological treatments can be an important component of the treatment plan, there seems to be a higher rate of use than would be expected. An estimated 13-25% of foster children are prescribed mind- and mood-altering medication vs. 4% in the general population. Children in foster care are considered a vulnerable population and research involving these children justifiably requires additional measures to ensure their protection. As a result, studies on the use of psychotropic medication among youth in foster care have relied primarily on secondary data‚ typically administrative data. This study used linked administrative datasets to rigorously examine the effect of psychotropic medication on foster care experiences and outcomes among children who entered foster care in North Carolina between March 2006 and June 2012. The dataset was constructed by linking the North Carolina’s child welfare administrative records (also known as the Services Information System [SIS]) with the Medicaid claims database (also known as the Eligibility Information System [EIS]) for medical and mental health services received by the foster youth. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was calculated and applied to mimic a randomized study. Results revealed that children on medication stayed in care longer, less likely to experience placement disruption, and more likely to exit to adoption.

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