Health Care of Children in Foster Care

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Permanency Planning ◽  
State Custody ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Children In Foster Care

The foster care system in America has evolved as a means of providing protection and shelter for children who require out-of-home placement.1 It is designed to be a temporary service, with a goal of either returning children home or arranging for suitable adoptive homes. In recent years, child welfare agencies have been directing greater efforts toward supporting families in crisis to prevent foster care placements whenever feasible and to reunify families as soon as possible when placements cannot be avoided. Increasingly, extended family members are being recruited and assisted in providing kinship care for children when their biologic parents cannot care for them. However, during the past decade the number of children in foster care has nearly doubled, despite landmark federal legislation designed to expedite permanency planning for children in state custody.2 It is estimated that by 1995 more than 500 000 children will be in foster care.3 In large part, this unrelenting trend is the result of increased abuse and neglect of children occurring in the context of parental substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.4 As a result, a disproportionate number of children placed in foster care come from that segment of the population with the fewest social and financial resources and from families that have few personal and limited extended family sources of support.5 It is not surprising then that children entering foster care are often in poor health. Compared with children from the same socioeconomic background, they suffer much higher rates of serious emotional and behavioral problems, chronic physical disabilities, birth defects, developmental delays, and poor school achievement.6-13

Randomized Study of PMTO in Foster Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 810-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becci A. Akin ◽  
Kyle Lang ◽  
Thomas P. McDonald ◽  
Yueqi Yan ◽  
Todd Little
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Parent Management Training ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Children In Foster Care

Objective: This study examined the effects of Parent Management Training, Oregon (PMTO) model on parenting effectiveness and caregiver functioning. Method: Children in foster care with emotional and behavioral problems were randomized to PMTO ( n = 461) or services as usual ( n = 457) in a nonblinded study design. Using an intent-to-treat approach, analysis of covariance models tested the intervention’s overall effect and time interactions for parenting and caregiver functioning. Additional analyses were conducted to identify significant predictors of outcomes. Results: PMTO did not significantly affect parenting practices; however, positive effects were observed on caregiver functioning in mental health (odds ratio [ OR] = 2.01), substance use ( OR = 1.67), social supports ( OR = 2.37), and readiness for reunification ( OR = 1.64). While no time interactions were detected, several child, parent, and case characteristics were associated with improvements in 6-month outcomes. Conclusion: This study extends evidence on PMTO to biological families of children in foster care, including those with older youth.

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.

Children in Foster Care: Possible factors affecting permanency planning

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Albers ◽  
Thom Reilly ◽  
Barbara Rittner
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Permanency Planning ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Children In Foster Care

scholarly journals VIEWS OF FOSTERCHILDREN ABOUT CONTACTS WITH PARENTS AND RELATIVES

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Skrobić ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Birth Parents ◽  
Actual Contact ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Children In Foster Care

This paper presents the results of research on the views of children about contacts with their birth parents and relatives. The views of children are seen through their experience in contacts and the wishes of children that relate to future contacts. The results show that children in foster care have positive attitude to the contacts and that no child wants to terminate the contacts maintained with the parents and relatives. A number of children want a greater number of contacts, or to establish contact with persons with whom there is no actual contact. Also, most of the children had the opportunity to participate in the planning and realization of contacts and the children who participated recognize their participation as an important issue.

Investigation of Sensory Modulation Dysfunction in Children in Congregate Foster Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512500064p1-7512500064p1
Author(s):  
Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth ◽  
Sarah A. Schoen ◽  
Tessa Burt
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Sensory Modulation ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Foster Care System ◽  
Critical Information ◽  
Sensory Modulation Dysfunction ◽  
Primary Author

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Youth who reside in congregate-care foster homes are at greater risk of developing physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. Many of these children could benefit from OT services but are not yet identified because of a lack of assessment. Data from this study suggest sensory modulation challenges are common in this population and may contribute to observed behavior problems. Critical information is provided to advocate for OT services in the foster care system. Primary Author and Speaker: Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth Additional Authors and Speakers: Sarah A. Schoen Contributing Authors: Tessa Burt

scholarly journals Challenges of Assessing Maltreated Children Coming into Foster Care

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Pritchett ◽  
Harriet Hockaday ◽  
Beatrice Anderson ◽  
Claire Davidson ◽  
Christopher Gillberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Level Of Concern ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Psychiatric Problems

Children who have experienced early adversity have been known to be at risk of developing cognitive, attachment, and mental health problems; therefore, it is crucial that children entering foster care can be properly assessed as early as possible. There are known difficulties in assessing children in foster care, for example, in finding a reliable informant. An ongoing randomised controlled trial in Glasgow, Scotland, recruiting infants entering foster care, provides a unique opportunity to explore some of the issues which need to be considered when assessing these children. The assessment data of 70 infants entering care is described while exploring the reliability of foster carers as informants and the importance of infant engagement with tasks. This group of infants was shown to be having more problems than children from the general population. While correlations were found between a carer’s level of concern about a child and the severity of a child’s problem, there were still a number of children displaying worrying problem scores whom foster carers did not report concern. The child’s engagement in the cognitive task showed associations with the child’s attainment on the task. Findings emphasise the importance of a holistic assessment for these children and all should be considered as potential cases with Maltreatment-Associated Psychiatric Problems (MAPP).

scholarly journals Taking Responsibility: Supporting Schools to Support Children in Foster Care and State Custody

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-99
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Alvin Anderson ◽  
Rama Cousik ◽  
Mary Jo Dare
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Interagency Collaboration ◽  
School Partnerships ◽  
State Custody ◽  
Children In Foster Care

For public schools that serve large percentages of young people who are at risk for school failure, the ability to fully engage families is widely considered a best practice. Recent research in the area of family-school partnerships indicates that increased family engagement has been associated with improvements in school outcomes such as academic performance. Although the term family is conceptually universal, its concise definition can be elusive because of the many meanings the word can connote. This paper examines conceptions of family for children who are in foster care. Additionally, suggestions are provided for community agencies and schools to work together to better support this population of young people. For a variety of reasons, children may be living away from their biological parents, in short or long-term living arrangements. During a given school year, children may live in one or more foster homes or residential facilities. The ability of schools to adequately support these students appears to be associated with educators’ willingness to work closely with both children who are in foster care and their service teams. We argue that comprehensive approaches for supporting these young people to succeed educationally requires effective interagency collaboration among schools and the community-based agencies that serve children and families. Partnerships such as those found in Full Service Community Schools and systems of care are described as possible methods for implementing interagency collaboration in schools.

Support for Non-Relative Female Foster Parents in South Africa: Quality of Care and Placement Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Emovon ◽  
Priscilla Gutura ◽  
Ngenisiwe Ntombela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Foster Parents ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
The Government

Caring for and protecting vulnerable children in foster care continues to be an important realisation of the rights of children in South Africa. The weakening of the extended family and the increasing number of orphaned and vulnerable children give rise to the relevance of non-relative fostering. This article discusses the different sources of support used by female non-relative foster parents when caring for the children. The findings come from a broader doctoral study that explored the experiences of non-relative foster parents. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion. The findings indicate that the participants received the same support as relative foster parents, including financial support from the government in foster care grants, support from faith-based organisations, and support from nuclear family members. Most participants were self-supported through personal incomes and savings, which differed from relative foster parents who relied solely on the foster care grant. The participants received limited or no support from social workers or agencies. This article concludes that the type of support available to non-relative foster parents is the same as that for relative foster parents, and it influences the quality of care and placement outcome. With adequate support, the burden of caring is lessened therefore improving the quality of care. Therefore, it is necessary to provide holistic support to non-relative foster parents to secure their willingness to continue caring, thus improving the quality, recruitment, and retention of foster parenting.

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