Search results for ‘Subject term:"foster care"’ Sort:
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Quality of life among children and adolescents in foster family homes
- Authors:
- ZHAN Weihai, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 107, 2019, p.104502.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Although well-being has become one of the three primary outcomes in child welfare for two decades, quality of life, a vital component of subjective well-being, has been largely ignored. This study examined quality of life and associated factors in a random sample of 225 children and adolescents placed in foster family homes. Quality of life was assessed using Cantril's self-anchoring ladder and logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with quality of life. The mean Cantril ladder score was 7.52 and 80.5% were classified as having a good quality of life. Factors associated with good quality of life included better overall health status, close relationship with foster parent, and a higher number of visitation types. Other placement-related factors (e.g., number of placements and history of previous removal) were not significantly associated with quality of life. Overall, the majority of children and adolescents in foster family homes reported a good quality of life. Efforts that target better health, close relationship with their caregivers, and more visitations among children and adolescents in foster family homes may also improve their quality of life. (Edited publisher abstract)
Adverse childhood experiences among children placed in and adopted from foster care: evidence from a nationally representative survey
- Authors:
- TURNER Kristin, WILDEMAN Christopher
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 64, 2017, pp.117-129.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Despite good reason to believe that children in foster care are disproportionately exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), relatively little research considers exposure to ACEs among this group of vulnerable children. This article uses data from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized children ages 0–17 in the United States, to estimate the association between foster care placement and exposure to an array of ACEs. In adjusted logistic regression models, the analysis found that children placed in foster care or adopted from foster care, compared to their counterparts, were more likely to experience parental divorce or separation, parental death, parental incarceration, parental abuse, violence exposure, household member mental illness, and household member substance abuse. These children were also more likely to experience ACEs than children across different thresholds of socioeconomic disadvantage (e.g., children in households with incomes below the poverty line) and across different family structures (e.g., children in single-mother families). These results advance our understanding of how children in foster care, an already vulnerable population, are disproportionately exposed to ACEs. This exposure, given the link between ACEs and health, may have implications for children’s health and wellbeing throughout the life course. (Edited publisher abstract)
The effects of perceived early childhood attachment and care status on young people’s eating behaviour
- Author:
- KELLY Aine Rose
- Journal article citation:
- Adoption and Fostering, 40(3), 2016, pp.234-246.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Research suggests a link between being in care and eating problems. The present study compared the eating behaviour of looked after young people and their non-looked after peers with a focus on the role of their perceived early childhood attachments. Looked after young people completed questionnaires about their perceived and unresolved attachment to their main caregiver during early childhood (aged 0 to 5), their level of picky eating and food disgust and the meanings they ascribed to food. They then nominated a non-looked after friend to complete the same measures. The results showed that looked after young people reported poorer scores on all aspects of early childhood attachments and were more likely to be ‘picky eaters’ and to find food disgusting. Further, they rated food as less embedded with meanings relating to sexuality, family life, a treat and social interaction. In addition, although care status independently predicted picky eating, food disgust and a belief that food was central to family life and social interaction, unresolved attachment was a better predictor of these variables. Unresolved attachment also significantly predicted a belief that food was a means to take control over one’s life. Being brought up in care is associated with eating problems and a less engaged approach to food. Poor attachment is a powerful explanation of this association. Carers and other professionals are key to the development of trusting relationships with looked after young people. Such secure attachments with carers and other professionals may enable looked after young people to foster a more positive relationship with food. (Publisher abstract)
Health outcomes for adults in family foster care as children: an analysis by ethnicity
- Authors:
- VILLEGAS Susy, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 33(1), January 2011, pp.110-117.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study examined the relationship between ethnicity and physical health outcomes for African American, Hispanic, and White adults who experienced family foster care as children. Data were used from the Casey National Alumni Study (CNAS) from Casey Family Programs, a private foundation providing family foster care services to children. A sample of 810 case records and interviews formed the sample for this paper. Logistic regression models indicated that ethnicity was not a significant predictor of physical health. However, gender and age were associated significantly with their physical health outcomes.
Legal and informal adoption by relatives in the U.S.: comparative characteristics and well-being from a nationally representative sample
- Authors:
- RADEL Laura F., BRAMLETT Matthew D., WATERS Annette
- Journal article citation:
- Adoption Quarterly, 13(3-4), July 2010, pp.267-291.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
A major success of the public child welfare system in the United States has been a dramatic and sustained increase in the annual number of children adopted from foster care. These numbers rose from 26,000 to over 50,000 per year every year since 2000. In this study, data from National Survey of adoptive Parents and National Survey of Children’s Health was used to compare children legally adopted by relatives with those living with relatives in households that that did not include the child's biological parents, such as children in informal adoptions. Children legally and informally adopted by kin were also compared with adopted children generally and with the broader population of all U.S. children. Findings suggest that, demographically, there were virtually no differences between children legally and informally adopted by kin, though these groups are distinct from U.S. children overall and from other adopted children. However, on several measures of health and well-being, children legally adopted by kin fared better overall than those adopted informally.
Caring about health: improving the health of looked after children in Scotland: an a-z resource pack for staff and carers
- Author:
- NHS SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- NHS Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 278p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
This resource pack is to help to enhance and support the health care process for looked after children in Scotland, by providing easy access to health information, sources of help and advice and relevant websites. It includes medically related information on subjects such as diabetes, epilepsy and immunisation, as well as health promotion information on subjects such as healthy eating, substance misuse and mental health. The introduction notes that staff and carers are well-placed to help to prevent ill-health, to play an active role in ensuring looked after children have access to appropriate and relevant health care services, to address life circumstances of looked after children that impact on health, and to promote positive health and well-being for children and young people and to contribute to their health improvement.
Medical status of school-age children reentering foster care
- Authors:
- FUSSELL Jill J., EVANS Larry D.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Maltreatment, 14(4), November 2009, pp.382-386.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Medical status changes between foster care placements were investigated to determine whether medical status improves and whether medical status changes predict re-entry into care. Three hundred and ninety-two school-age children re-entering foster care received comprehensive medical evaluation on each foster care entry. Results indicated that students re-entering care had worsened medical status. Comparison with matched students having a single foster care placement did not show medical status predictive of foster care re-entry but suggested that some medical status declines were age related.
The well-being of children in foster care: exploring physical and mental health needs
- Authors:
- SULLIVAN Dana J., van ZYL Michiel A.
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 30(7), July 2008, pp.774-786.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This exploratory study of child well-being indicators involved the entire population of children in the state child welfare agency's foster care system in one American state at a particular point in time. CHAID analysis on differences related to physical and mental health needs among various groups of children in foster care revealed a number of significant differences that are often overlooked in other types of analyses. Children's medical needs differ significantly by length of stay and emotional needs were more profound among children of certain ages.
Kinship care: analysis of the health and well-being of grandfathers raising grandchildren using the Grandparent Assessment Tool and the Medical Outcomes Trust SF-36 TM Health Survey
- Author:
- OKAGBUE-REAVES Janet
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Family Social Work, 9(2), 2005, pp.47-66.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
As more and more children are being separated from their biological parents because of AIDS, substance abuse, mental and physical illness, incarceration, and child abuse and neglect, child welfare agencies are relying more often on kinship care as a viable option for out-of-home placements. In many cases, kinship care falls on the grandparents. While keeping children within their families is generally viewed as preferable by child welfare agencies, it can be a burden on grandparent caregivers, who often exist on severely limited incomes and without much assistance or support from social service agencies. A research project was conducted which used both quantitative and qualitative data from research conducted by Jones and Gibbons (2000) on grandparent care, but this study focuses on the experiences of grandfathers who participated in the project and examines their outcomes in several different areas. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Between two systems: children in TANF child-only cases with relative caregivers
- Authors:
- GIBBS Deborah, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 28(4), April 2006, pp.435-446.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The TANF program provides financial assistance to more than 500,000 children in relative care through child-only TANF grants, yet little information exists to describe this population. This study explored the service needs and well-being of children in TANF child-only cases with relative caregivers, using secondary analysis of national survey data and case studies in five states. Secondary analyses suggested that these children compare favourably to children in kinship and foster care on many measures of well-being, but some indications of behavioural and mental health problems were seen. Case studies suggest that many children in TANF child-only cases with relative caregivers have extensive service needs. Taken together, these findings suggest advantages of relative caregiver arrangements for children in TANF child-only cases, as well as cause for concern. Relative care is generally believed to be preferable to foster care with nonrelatives when children cannot remain with parents. However, children often experience substantial difficulties as a result of their previous experiences and separation from parents, and the TANF system lacks the necessary resources to respond to them.