RESUMO
A growing number of children in the United States are being placed into foster care. Past studies indicate that effective case manager interventions have helped foster families with a variety of different problems. This study enrolled a randomly selected sample of 130 children under age four who had been newly placed into foster care. The purpose of this study was to identify the services needed by foster care families and determine which services require the most case manager effort. Consistent with other research, many foster care children in this study exhibited developmental, medical and psychosocial concerns. Nevertheless, we found that it was services aimed at the foster care parents, rather than the foster care children, that required the most labor-intensive case management services.
Assuntos
Administração de Caso , Cuidados no Lar de Adoção , Serviços de Saúde Mental/organização & administração , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Estados UnidosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between family homelessness and children's placement in foster care. METHODS: The prevalence of homelessness in a random sample of 195 young foster children was examined. RESULTS: Almost half of the birth parents of the foster children had experienced homelessness. Those children were more likely than other foster children to have siblings in foster care and to be place with nonrelatives. CONCLUSIONS: An extremely high prevalence of family homelessness was found among children in foster care. Policy implications of the association between family homelessness and placement into foster care are discussed.
Assuntos
Família , Cuidados no Lar de Adoção/estatística & dados numéricos , Pessoas Mal Alojadas/estatística & dados numéricos , California/epidemiologia , Maus-Tratos Infantis/estatística & dados numéricos , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Nível de Saúde , Humanos , Lactente , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Prevalência , Distribuição AleatóriaRESUMO
The impact of welfare reform on foster care is examined in relation to children's mental health. Initial assessment of 125 young foster children randomly assigned to a special program found that half rated below normal on mental and psychomotor development, with two-thirds below normal on emotional regulation and motor quality. Implications for social policy and program planning, and the need for ongoing research, are discussed.
