IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v153y2023ics0190740923002931.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Foster care, kinship care, and the transition to adulthood: Do child welfare system processes explain differences in outcomes?

Author

Listed:
  • Sattler, Kierra M.P.
  • Herd, Toria
  • Font, Sarah A.

Abstract

Despite longstanding policy preferences favoring kinship care placements over non-relative family foster care placements, research findings on the benefits of kinship care vary by measurement, assessed outcome, follow-up period, and other study design elements. We examined early adulthood outcomes—incarceration and teen parenthood—among WI youth who entered foster care in early-to-middle childhood (ages 5–10). Results suggest that initial placement in kin or nonrelative kinship care was not significantly related to imprisonment or teenage parenthood directly; however, first placement in kinship care is associated with fewer moves, longer duration in care, and a higher probability of a new maltreatment investigation, which in turn is related to long-term outcomes. Further, a new maltreatment investigation was an important mediator and was significantly associated with a higher probability of incarceration and teenage parenthood. This study provides mechanisms on the ways in which first placement setting influences incarceration and teenage parenthood. Findings provide important policy and practice implications on how children’s experiences in foster care, based on their initial placement type, can lead to maladaptive outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Sattler, Kierra M.P. & Herd, Toria & Font, Sarah A., 2023. "Foster care, kinship care, and the transition to adulthood: Do child welfare system processes explain differences in outcomes?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:153:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923002931
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107098
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740923002931
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107098?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wu, Qi & White, Kevin R. & Coleman, Kanisha L., 2015. "Effects of kinship care on behavioral problems by child age: A propensity score analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-8.
    2. Kothari, Brianne H. & Godlewski, Bethany & McBeath, Bowen & McGee, Marjorie & Waid, Jeff & Lipscomb, Shannon & Bank, Lew, 2018. "A longitudinal analysis of school discipline events among youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 117-125.
    3. Testa, Mark F. & Slack, Kristen Shook, 2002. "The gift of kinship foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1-2), pages 79-108.
    4. Dunn, Dena Miller & Culhane, Sara E. & Taussig, Heather N., 2010. "Children's appraisals of their experiences in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 1324-1330, October.
    5. Sullivan, Melissa J. & Jones, Loring & Mathiesen, Sally, 2010. "School change, academic progress, and behavior problems in a sample of foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 164-170, February.
    6. Barber, James & Delfabbro, Paul, 2005. "Children's adjustment to long-term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 329-340, March.
    7. Ryan, Joseph P. & Hong, Jun Sung & Herz, Denise & Hernandez, Pedro M., 2010. "Kinship foster care and the risk of juvenile delinquency," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1823-1830, December.
    8. Harden, Brenda Jones & Clyman, Robert B. & Kriebel, Dawn K. & Lyons, Mary E., 2004. "Kith and kin care: parental attitudes and resources of foster and relative caregivers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(7), pages 657-671, July.
    9. Fechter-Leggett, Molly O. & O'Brien, Kirk, 2010. "The effects of kinship care on adult mental health outcomes of alumni of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 206-213, February.
    10. Jonathan Guryan & Erik Hurst & Melissa Kearney, 2008. "Parental Education and Parental Time with Children," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(3), pages 23-46, Summer.
    11. Fernandez, Elizabeth, 2009. "Children's wellbeing in care: Evidence from a longitudinal study of outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(10), pages 1092-1100, October.
    12. Kasey S. Buckles, 2013. "Adoption Subsidies and Placement Outcomes for Children in Foster Care," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 48(3), pages 596-627.
    13. Lawler, Michael J., 2008. "Maltreated children's emotional availability with kin and non-kin foster mothers: A sociobiological perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(10), pages 1131-1143, October.
    14. Shore, Nancy & Sim, Kelly E. & Le Prohn, Nicole S. & Keller, Thomas E., 2002. "Foster parent and teacher assessments of youth in kinship and non-kinship foster care placements: are behaviors perceived differently across settings?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1-2), pages 109-134.
    15. Sarah A. Font & Maria Cancian & Lawrence M. Berger, 2019. "Prevalence and Risk Factors for Early Motherhood Among Low-Income, Maltreated, and Foster Youth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 261-284, February.
    16. Kimberlin, Sara E. & Anthony, Elizabeth K. & Austin, Michael J., 2009. "Re-entering foster care: Trends, evidence, and implications," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 471-481, April.
    17. Brooks, Devon & Barth, Richard P., 1998. "Characteristics and outcomes of drug-exposed and non drug-exposed children in kinship and non-relative foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 475-501, July.
    18. Mary Hansen, 2007. "Using Subsidies to Promote the Adoption of Children from Foster Care," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 377-393, September.
    19. Blankenship, Kim M. & del Rio Gonzalez, Ana Maria & Keene, Danya E. & Groves, Allison K. & Rosenberg, Alana P., 2018. "Mass incarceration, race inequality, and health: Expanding concepts and assessing impacts on well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 45-52.
    20. Font, Sarah A. & Sattler, Kierra M.P. & Gershoff, Elizabeth T., 2018. "Measurement and correlates of foster care placement moves," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 248-258.
    21. Koh, Eun & Testa, Mark F., 2011. "Children discharged from kin and non-kin foster homes: Do the risks of foster care re-entry differ?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1497-1505, September.
    22. Chambers, Ruth M. & Crutchfield, Rashida M. & Willis, Tasha Y. & Cuza, Haydée A. & Otero, Angelica & Goddu Harper, Stephanie G. & Carmichael, Heather, 2018. "“It's just not right to move a kid that many times:” A qualitative study of how foster care alumni perceive placement moves," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 76-83.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lawler, Michael J., 2008. "Maltreated children's emotional availability with kin and non-kin foster mothers: A sociobiological perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(10), pages 1131-1143, October.
    2. Font, Sarah A. & Sattler, Kierra M.P. & Gershoff, Elizabeth T., 2018. "Measurement and correlates of foster care placement moves," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 248-258.
    3. Berrick, Jill Duerr & Hernandez, Julia, 2016. "Developing consistent and transparent kinship care policy and practice: State mandated, mediated, and independent care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 24-33.
    4. Simon, David & Sojourner, Aaron & Pedersen, Jon & Ombisa Skallet, Heidi, 2024. "Financial Incentives for Adoption and Kin Guardianship Improve Achievement for Foster Children," IZA Discussion Papers 17057, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Berrick, Jill Duerr & Boyd, Reiko, 2016. "Financial well-being in family-based foster care: Exploring variation in income supports for kin and non-kin caregivers in California," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 166-173.
    6. Wu, Qi & White, Kevin R. & Coleman, Kanisha L., 2015. "Effects of kinship care on behavioral problems by child age: A propensity score analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-8.
    7. David Simon & Aaron Sojourner & Jon Pedersen & Heidi Ombisa Skallet, 2024. "Financial Incentives for Adoption and Kin Guardianship Improve Achievement for Foster Children," Upjohn Working Papers 24-401, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    8. Hegar, Rebecca L. & Rosenthal, James A., 2009. "Kinship care and sibling placement: Child behavior, family relationships, and school outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 670-679, June.
    9. Amelia M. Biehl & Brian Hill, 2018. "Foster care and the earned income tax credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 661-680, September.
    10. Stone, Susan, 2007. "Child maltreatment, out-of-home placement and academic vulnerability: A fifteen-year review of evidence and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 139-161, February.
    11. Font, Sarah A., 2015. "Are children safer with kin? A comparison of maltreatment risk in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 20-29.
    12. Harden, Brenda Jones & D'Amour Meisch, Allison & Vick, Jessica E. & Pandohie-Johnson, Lisa, 2008. "Measuring parenting among foster families: The development of the Foster Parent Attitudes Questionnaire (FPAQ)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 879-892, August.
    13. Bishop Kelly C. & Mac Donald Diana E., 2022. "The Effect of Paying Parents to Adopt: Evidence from Minnesota's Foster-Care System," Working Papers 2022-01, Banco de México.
    14. Margaret E. Brehm, 2018. "The Effects of Federal Adoption Incentive Awards for Older Children on Adoptions From U.S. Foster Care," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 301-330, March.
    15. Goodman, Catherine Chase & Potts, Marilyn & Pasztor, Eileen Mayers & Scorzo, Dolores, 2004. "Grandmothers as kinship caregivers: private arrangements compared to public child welfare oversight," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 287-305, March.
    16. Victor, Bryan G. & Ryan, Joseph P. & Moore, Andrew & Mowbray, Orion & Evangelist, Michael & Perron, Brian E., 2016. "Foster home licensing and risk of reentry to out-of-home care following family reunification," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 112-119.
    17. Lovett, Nicholas & Xue, Yuhan, 2020. "Family first or the kindness of strangers? Foster care placements and adult outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    18. Rolock, Nancy & White, Kevin & Blakey, Joan M. & Ocasio, Kerrie & Korsch-Williams, Amy & Flanigan, Chelsea & Bai, Rong & Faulkner, Monica & Marra, Laura & Fong, Rowena, 2023. "Living apart after adoption or guardianship: Perspectives of adoptive parents and guardians," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    19. Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Van Holen, Frank & Vanschoonlandt, Femke & Robberechts, Marijke & Stroobants, Tim, 2013. "Children placed in long-term family foster care: A longitudinal study into the development of problem behavior and associated factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 587-593.
    20. Hassall, Alison & McKenna, Sarah & Pasalich, Dave S., 2024. "How does kinship and foster care differ on caregiver-child relationship quality and child and caregiver mental health?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:153:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923002931. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.