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These kinds of studies are important for present and future agencies because a fuller understanding of shortcomings -- and strengths -- in policy and judgment can lead to better care and more productive lives for alumni of foster care. When visited and surveyed, many of the 659 individuals (alumni) had completed high school not in formal education but via a GED; hence one-third of the 659 had incomes at or below the poverty level and "more than one in five" had been homeless following foster care (Pecora, et al., 2006, p. 1459). The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study investigated the lives of alumni who were under foster care (in one of three agencies) from 1988 to 1998; alumni had to have been placed for 12 or more months between the ages of 14 to 18. Over half were "people of color"; 15.7% were Native American or Alaska Natives; and 5.8% were Asian or Pacific Islander; the average age was 24.2 years and 60.5% were women (p. 1465). Case records were read by "raters…with no knowledge of the hypotheses of the study" and "trained interviewers" from the University of Michigan conducted the interviews. Of the 659 alumni, 479 were actually interviewed. There is not room on this page for all the results, but "nearly one-third…reported 10 or more school changes from elementary through high school" (p. 1469). The data (p. 1470) reveals that: 89.1% had access to tutoring but only 48.1% uses tutors; two out of five alumni received "some education beyond high school" but only 20.6% of those received a degree or certificate and only 1 in 50 received a Bachelor's degree (that is 2.7% of alumni; 24.4% of the general population completes a Bachelor's). How many said they...
(2008). Primary factors related to multiple placements for children in out-of-
home care. Child Welfare, 87(6), 71-91.
This study leads with the assertion that multiple foster care placements are detrimental to "brain growth, psychological adjustment, and mental development" (which the American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 2000) (Eggertsen, p. 71). Eggertsen's research also claims multiple foster care placements contribute to an individual's "instability… [and] behavioral disturbances" and leads to "impaired school functioning." The question most apt in this context is, how can an adult -- who has been placed in multiple family settings during an unstable childhood and adolescence -- be expected to succeed in educational and career pursuits? Brain growth is a vital part of psychological and physiological development, but when the brain is not fully mature and functioning normally the child may be headed for a troubled adulthood, according to the literature.
This study involved 6,432 children (3,183 females; 3,140 males) who had been placed in foster care homes during the years 2000, 2001, and 2002 in Utah. The average age of participants was 8.17 but they ranged up to 20 years of age (p. 72). Of the 6,432 children, 4,917 had been removed from urban areas and placed in rural areas, and 1,426 had been removed from rural areas and transplanted to urban environments. As to the health issues, "Participants with major health problems were more than 60% more likely" to have been placed in multiple foster homes. Unhealthy bodies certainly…
home care. Child Welfare, 87(6), 71-91.
This study leads with the assertion that multiple foster care placements are detrimental to "brain growth, psychological adjustment, and mental development" (which the American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 2000) (Eggertsen, p. 71). Eggertsen's research also claims multiple foster care placements contribute to an individual's "instability… [and] behavioral disturbances" and leads to "impaired school functioning." The question most apt in this context is, how can an adult -- who has been placed in multiple family settings during an unstable childhood and adolescence -- be expected to succeed in educational and career pursuits? Brain growth is a vital part of psychological and physiological development, but when the brain is not fully mature and functioning normally the child may be headed for a troubled adulthood, according to the literature.
This study involved 6,432 children (3,183 females; 3,140 males) who had been placed in foster care homes during the years 2000, 2001, and 2002 in Utah. The average age of participants was 8.17 but they ranged up to 20 years of age (p. 72). Of the 6,432 children, 4,917 had been removed from urban areas and placed in rural areas, and 1,426 had been removed from rural areas and transplanted to urban environments. As to the health issues, "Participants with major health problems were more than 60% more likely" to have been placed in multiple foster homes. Unhealthy bodies certainly are less apt to have success in school and in later life -- hence one of the results of this study aid in understanding poor performance in school. The existence of mental health problems "…more than doubled the likelihood" that an individual had experienced 3 or more placements (p. 73). The theoretical framework for this research is that multiple placement experiences for foster youth lead to stunted intellectual and emotional growth -- and those factors in many cases prevent an individual from solid education and training experiences.
From being exposed to such an unhealthy environment at an impressionable age, many negative effects occur (Weldon, 2001). This is because since more children are entering foster care in the early years of life when brain growth and development are most active. The younger a child may be, psychological effects become even more profound, and during the first 3 to 4 years of life, many traits are established, strengthened,
Foster Care Community Assessment: Foster Care Youth Needs What is a community assessment? A community assessment is a process by which a collaborative partnership gathers information on the current strengths, concerns, needs, and conditions of children, families, and the community. The information comes from many sources -- especially parents and family members -- and is elicited by many techniques, including interviews, focus groups, and scanning demographic data collected by local agencies. Because
A large number of these youth are not prepared to be independent, regardless of their maturity level; they do not have the skills and services in place to do so. Having to live on one's own maximizes the stresses and personal challenges and requires skills that are even difficult for those who have never been in foster care. Not only are these young adults moving to independence without positive support,
foster children face, especially when they become emancipated and begin to live life on their own. It has often been suggested that many more African-American children are in foster care than are children of other races. In order to understand whether or not this is accurate, a thorough review of available literature on the topic is necessary. Literature on this topic will include statistics, gender differences, and cultural diversity. The
(Toro, 2008) Toro states that policy makers have only recently begun to recognize the needs of these youth after aging. Statistics show that in the area of employment: (1) most respondents had worked since leaving foster care; (2) on average respondents were unemployed only 48% of the time since leaving foster care; (3) the average monthly income when working equaled approximately $598. (Toro, Education statistics show that: (1) 41% graduated
Foster Children/Foster Care Issues of a Foster Child Child Abuse Families and Children Served through Foster Care The Policy Framework This thesis reviews foster care in the United States: the reasons why children fall into the category of children who need to be taken out of their families and placed in care, the numerous emotional and psychological responses of children in foster care, and the psychological and emotional care that is given to children that