scholarly journals Long-Term Trends and Ethnoracial Inequality in U.S. Foster Care: A Research Note

Demography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander F. Roehrkasse
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Racial Inequality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
White Children ◽  
Black African ◽  
Southern States ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
State Supervision

Abstract This study combines and standardizes multiple sources of administrative data to calculate rates of children in foster care in the United States from 1961 to 2018, more than tripling the length of previously available time series. Results yield novel insights about historical, geographic, and ethnoracial variation in children's experience of living without parents under state supervision. National rates of children in foster care rose from 3 per 1,000 in 1963 to a peak of almost 8 per 1,000 in 1997 before declining to just under 6 per 1,000 in 2018. After stable or increasing racial inequality in the late twentieth century, disparities between Black/African American and White children began to decrease in the twenty-first century in nearly every state, closing entirely in several Southern states but remaining wide outside the South. In many Midwestern and Western states, the extreme overrepresentation of American Indian/Alaska Native children in foster care persisted or intensified.

scholarly journals The Role of Status in the Emergence of Pro-White Bias in Rural Uganda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Marshall ◽  
Anton Gollwitzer ◽  
Kellen Mermin-Bunnell ◽  
Tara M Mandalaywala
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Black Community ◽  
Racial Inequality ◽  
Racial Bias ◽  
Black Children ◽  
Racial Prejudice ◽  
White Children ◽  
Black African ◽  
Racial Biases ◽  
Status Cues

Research investigating the early emergence of racial prejudice has been largely limited to contexts in which racial prejudice is most likely to emerge—multiracial societies that have pronounced racial inequality (e.g., United States, South Africa). The present study assessed whether pro-White racial bias is also early emerging in a homogenous Black community that has little exposure to modern media and where children presumably experience less overt discrimination than in past samples (e.g., South Africa). Black African children (N = 214) between 5- and 12-years-old living in rural Uganda exhibited substantial pro-White racial bias, preferring White over Black children 78% of the time. Ugandan children also judged White children as higher status than Black children, and these status judgments predicted their degree of pro-White bias. Our results indicate that pro-White racial biases can emerge even in a homogenous Black community and that, in some contexts, minimal status cues are sufficient for the early development of racial prejudice.

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.

The pediatrician and children in foster care

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-257
Author(s):  
David Fanshel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Deviant Behavior ◽  
The United States ◽  
Marital Discord ◽  
Minority Children ◽  
Personal Problems ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Children In Foster Care

There are approximately 330,000 children living in foster care under the auspices of public and private social agencies in the United States. The vast majority-approximately 80%-have come into care because of severe personal and social problems that have afflicted their parents. More often than not, they come from households that are headed by women struggling to survive on public assistance budgets. Minority children are heavily overrepresented in their ranks. Parental failure leading to breakup of families is usually related to such personal problems of adults as mental illness, poor physical health, mental retardation, drug addiction, alcoholism, arrest and imprisonment for deviant behavior, and marital discord. Sizable groups of children come into care because their parents have been judged in court actions to have been guilty of abuse or neglect.

scholarly journals High-level psychotropic polypharmacy: a retrospective comparison of children in foster care to their peers on Medicaid

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Winders Davis ◽  
W. David Lohr ◽  
Yana Feygin ◽  
Liza Creel ◽  
Kahir Jawad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Metabolic Monitoring ◽  
Concurrent Use ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background The use of antipsychotic medication and psychotropic polypharmacy has increased in the United States over the last two decades especially for children from low-income families and those in foster care. Although attention has been paid to providing greater insight, prescribing patterns remain concerning since there is a lack of evidence related to safety and efficacy. High-level psychotropic polypharmacy has not been described. We aim to compare the use of HLPP for children receiving Medicaid services and those in foster care and identify factors associated with the duration of use of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy. Additionally, we will examine the frequency of laboratory metabolic screening and emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient visits. Methods A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of statewide data describes trends in high-level psychotropic polypharmacy from 2012 to 2017 and the prevalence and predictors of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy duration and resource use in 2017 for all children on Medicaid and those in foster care. High-level psychotropic polypharmacy included concurrent use, at least four classes of medications including an antipsychotic, and at least 30 days duration. Results High-level psychotropic polypharmacy increased from 2012 to 2014 for both groups but stabilized in 2015–2016. Children in foster care showed a slight increase compared to their peers in 2017. There was no association between duration and demographic characteristics or foster care status. Diagnoses predicted duration. Neither group received metabolic monitoring at an acceptable rate. Conclusions Concerning patterns of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy and metabolic monitoring were identified. Cautious use of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy and greater oversight to ensure that these children are receiving comprehensive services like behavioral health, primary care, and primary prevention.

scholarly journals A national study of the impact of outpatient mental health services for children in long-term foster care

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Bellamy ◽  
Geetha Gopalan ◽  
Dorian E. Traube
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Internalizing Behavior ◽  
Outpatient Mental Health ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
The Impact

Despite the tremendous mental health need evidenced by children in foster care and high rates of use of mental health services among children in foster care, little is known about the impact of outpatient mental health services on the behavioral health of this population. This study utilizes data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), the first nationally representative study of child welfare in the United States. A subsample of 439 children who have experienced long-term foster care were included in this study. These data were used to estimate the impact of outpatient mental health services on the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems of children in long-term foster care. A propensity score matching model was employed to produce a robust estimate of the treatment effect. Results indicate that children who have experienced long-term foster care do not benefit from the receipt of outpatient mental health services. Study results are discussed in the context of earlier research on the quality of mental health services for children in foster care.

A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483802094119
Author(s):  
Amy D. Engler ◽  
Kwabena O. Sarpong ◽  
Bethanie S. Van Horne ◽  
Christopher S. Greeley ◽  
Rachael J. Keefe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Foster Children ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Health Disorders

Objectives: This article summarizes the rate of mental health disorders of foster children, the specific types of disorders faced by this population, and how factors such as type of abuse or placement variables can affect mental health outcomes. Method: A search in PsycInfo Ovid, EMBASE Elsevier, and Cochrane Library Wiley resulted in 5,042 manuscripts that were independently reviewed by two authors, yielding 25 articles. Inclusion criteria: Published in or after 2000, written in English, and having a population sample of foster children (ages 0–18) in Western countries including the United States, Norway, Australia, and Canada. Results: Foster children have higher rates of mental health disorders than those of the general population. The most common diagnoses include oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder. Variables such as type of maltreatment and type of placement predicted mental health outcomes. Conclusions and implications of key findings: Children in foster care experience more mental health disorders, as a response to either the circumstances that led to being removed from their homes or the experience of being placed in foster care. These results demonstrate the necessity for providers to consider mental health issues when caring for children in foster care and to perform appropriate screenings and assessments. With adequate trauma-informed training, providers can quickly become comfortable and competent in identifying mental health needs of children in foster care who have experienced trauma.

Cumulative Prevalence of Confirmed Maltreatment and Foster Care Placement for US Children by Race/Ethnicity, 2011–2016

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 704-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngmin Yi ◽  
Frank R. Edwards ◽  
Christopher Wildeman
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Us Children ◽  
Population Counts ◽  
Cumulative Prevalence ◽  
Foster Care Placement

Objectives. To estimate the cumulative prevalence of confirmed child maltreatment and foster care placement for US children and changes in prevalence between 2011 and 2016. Methods. We used synthetic cohort life tables and data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and population counts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results. US children’s cumulative prevalence of confirmed maltreatment remained stable between 2011 and 2016 at about 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.6%, 11.7%) of the population and increased by roughly 11% for foster care placement from 4.8% (95% CI = 4.8%, 4.8%) to 5.3% (95% CI = 5.3%, 5.4%). American Indian/Alaska Native children experienced the largest change, an 18.0% increase in confirmed maltreatment risk from 13.4% (95% CI = 13.1%, 13.6%) to 15.8% (95% CI = 15.6%, 16.1%) and a 21% increase in foster care placement risk from 9.4% (95% CI = 9.2%, 9.6%) to 11.4% (95% CI = 11.2%, 11.6%). Conclusions. Confirmed child maltreatment and foster care placement continued to be experienced at high rates in the United States in 2012 through 2016, with especially high risks for American Indian/Alaska Native children. Rates of foster care have increased, whereas rates of confirmed maltreatment have remained stable.

619 Electronic Media Use and Sleep Among Children in Foster Care with Anxiety

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A243-A243
Author(s):  
Josephine Kim ◽  
Priscilla Rigos ◽  
Madeline Valentine ◽  
Josefina Muñoz Nogales ◽  
Jinu KIm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
The United States ◽  
Electronic Media ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Sleep Study ◽  
Children In Foster Care

Abstract Introduction Electronic media (EM) use has long been associated with poor sleep in children. Children’s use of EM may also be related to emotional distress – anxiety being one of the more prevalent issues, which has been tied to sleep-related problems as well (e.g., Fors & Barch, 2019; Alfano et al., 2007). Children in foster care have often been victims of trauma, which can lead to significant emotional and sleep difficulties (e.g., Kovachy et al., 2013). The Fostering Sleep study examined the association between EM use and sleep among children in foster care; and the additional influence of anxiety. Methods Participants were caregivers of foster care children recruited from private Facebook foster care support groups across the United States. The study used a cross-sectional design examining sleep patterns and behaviors, EM use and mental health among children in foster care. An online survey, hosted by Qualtrics, was distributed to caregivers via Facebook. The data of 443 foster care children between the ages of four and 11 (M=6.37, SD=2.21) were included in the analyses. Results Children in foster care using EM at bedtime go to bed later than those who are not (p<.001), and their sleep quality was better than those who did not use EM around bedtime (p<0.01). Additionally, 33.3% reported anxiety as a primary diagnosis by a mental health professional. Children without anxiety as their primary diagnosis were found to be more likely to use EM around bedtime (p=.038). Conclusion This preliminary analysis indicates the prevalence of EM use close to bedtime may not necessarily be detrimental to sleep for this population; perhaps activities such as watching one’s favorite programming or talking to a loved one online can be comforting and therefore helpful to sleep onset (Eggermont & Van den Bulck, 2006). However, examination of other factors such as type of technology, content of media, and duration of use is warranted. Moreover, children with anxiety as a primary diagnosis may be using less EM at bedtime because EM use may trigger symptoms of anxiety (i.e., Fors & Barch, 2019). Support (if any):

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