Research Lead: David M. Rubin, MD, MSCE
Sponsored By: William Penn Foundation, Stoneleigh Center, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Dates: July 2006-June 2012
Background
Placement instability harms children in foster care. According to national estimates, two-thirds of children who are in foster care for more than a year experience three or more placements. Aside from the problems experienced before entering out-of-home care, placement instability increases the risk of negative health, educational, and social-emotional outcomes. Lack of understanding about what types of placement decisions best promote the resiliency of children in foster care is compounded by insufficient data on how often children achieve long-lasting placements and how well they do as a group.Aims
Study Design: Longitudinal cohort study of children entering an out-of-home foster care placement. Information is collected during an 18-month follow-up period through interviews with caregivers and caseworkers upon entry into care and every time a child changes placement, or every six months if no placement change has occurred. The child's teacher is also interviewed at the end of the 18-months Population: 450 children ages three to eight years entering the Philadelphia child welfare system. Enrollment completed September 2008, data collection will be completed by June 2010, and preliminary data analysis is currently underway.
Methods
Progress
