Risks of Reentry into the Foster Care System

for Children who Reunified

Terry V. Shaw, MSW

University of California, BerkeleySchool of Social Welfare

This research is funded by the California Department of Social Services and the Stuart Foundation

Presented at the National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology 8th National Child Welfare Data Conference

Outline1. Brief overview of federal outcome

measures related to reentries.

2. Overview of prior research on foster care reentries.

3. Discussion of the population and methods used for this project.

4. Examination of the results.

5. Conclusions

6. Implications

Outcomes, outcomes, everywhere(or why bother looking at reentry?)

There have been multiple instances of federal

legislation calling for the development of

Child Welfare outcome measures.

• Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA)

ASFA (the Adoption and Safe Families Act)mandated that outcome reports be given toCongress.• Reduce recurrence of child abuse and/or neglect, • Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in

foster care,• Increase permanency for children in foster care,• Reduce time in foster care to reunification without

increasing re-entry,• Reduce time in foster care to adoption,• Increase placement stability, and• Reduce placements of young children in group homes

or institutions.

Outcomes, outcomes … continued

• Statewide Data Indicators in Child and Family Services Reviews (a subset of the Annual Outcomes)

• We want to ensure that children are in safe and stable homes. Reentering care is a sign that the reunification was not optimal.

Outcomes, outcomes … continued

Foster Care ReentriesOf all the children who entered care during the year under review, what percent re-entered foster care within 12 months of a prior foster care episode?

National Standard 8.6% or less:

Percent reentered within 12 months of prior episode

8.69.3

0

5

10

15

National Standard UCB CA 2000 Est

Perc

ent

Foster Care Reentries

Does not follow children through care from their initial entry to the reunification and then to reentry.

The federal measure does not look at reentries after 12 months even though Reentry continues to occur well after 12 months.Longitudinal alternative:For all children who enter care and are reunified, what % reenter within 3 mo, 12 mo, 24 mo after reunification?

Festinger, T. (1994). Returning to Care: Discharge and Reentry into Foster Care. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.

Previous Research on Reentry to CareAuthors and Articles

Courtney, Mark E. (1994). "Factors Associated with the Reunification of Foster Children with Their Families." Social Service Review 68 (1): 81-108

Wulczyn, Fred (1991). "Caseload Dynamics and Foster Care Reentry." Social Service Review 65: 133-156.

Frame, L., Berrick, J.D., Brodowski, M.L.  (2000) “Understanding reentry to foster care for reunified infants.”  Child Welfare, 79 (4), pp. 339-369 .

Frame, L., (2002) “Maltreatment reports and placement outcomes for infants and toddlers in out-of-home care.”  Infant Mental Health Journal, 23 (5), pp. 517-540 .

Wells, Kathleen and Shenyang Guo (1999) “Reunification and Reentry of Foster Children.” Children and Youth Services Review, 21 (4): 273-294

Research on Reentry to Care

• Length of Time in Care prior to Reunification.

• Type of placement a child experiences in foster care.

• Number of placements while in foster care.

• Race/Ethnicity of the Child.

• Age of child at entry into foster care.

Research on Reentry (continued…)

• Reason for removal from home or entry into the foster care system.

• Caregiver Drug/Alcohol use.• Poverty status (children receiving

AFDC).• Marital status (single or multi-parent

homes).• Geographic location (urban/rural).• Child health factors.

Study Population

• First Entries to Child Welfare Supervised Foster Care in California (1998-2001).

• Initial stays greater than 5 days.• Children reunifying within 12 months of initial

entry into foster care.• Missing placement types excluded.• Question: What are the differences between

the children who reenter care within one year after reunification and those who do not?

Variables Examined

• Child’s Race/Ethnicity

• Child’s Gender

• First Entry Year

• Reason for removal from home.

• Time in Care prior to reunification.

• Predominant Placement Type

• Placement Moves

Variables Examined (continued…)

• Title 4e Eligible– Whether the child was found eligible for AFDC or

not.

• Did the parent(s) receive drug or alcohol services? – Inpatient or Outpatient Substance Abuse

Services.– FP – Drug Treatment– Substance Abuse Services and Testing– 12-Step Program

• Family structure child was removed from.

Variables Examined (continued…)

• Primary language spoken at home.

• Number of placement moves while in foster care.

• Entry Rates at the census tract level.

• Population characteristic (census tract).– Percent Female Headed Households– Percent Below Poverty.– Percent Unemployed.

1998-2001 First Entries to Foster CareFirst Entries, Reunification in 12 Months and Reentries within 12 Months

30,98129,332

27,810 28,354

8,745 9,313 9,388 9,904

1,164 1,145 1,278 1,299

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1998 Entry Year 1999 Entry Year 2000 Entry Year 2001 Entry Year

Firs t Entries Reunification in 12 Months Reentry after Reunification

1998-2001 First Entries into Foster Care

1,164 1,145 1,278 1,299 4,886

7,581 8,168 8,110 8,605 32,464

22,236 20,019 18,422 18,450 79,127

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 1999 2000 2001 Overall

Reunified by 12 Months and reenter within 12 Months Reunified by 12 Months, no reentry Still in Care at 12 Months

First Entries to Foster Care by Ethnic Group and Entry Year(Children in Care 5 Days or More)

n % n % n % n % 6,755 21.9 6,475 22.2 5,716 20.7 5,593 19.8

10,625 34.5 9,587 32.9 8,976 32.5 9,347 33.112,147 39.4 11,693 40.2 11,671 42.2 12,010 42.6

928 3 1,008 3.5 902 3.3 915 3.2350 1.1 354 1.2 377 1.4 342 1.2176 . 215 . 168 . 147 .

30,981 100 29,332 100 27,810 100 28,354 100

http://cssr3.socwel.berkeley.edu/CWSCMSreports/cohorts/firstentries/

2001

Black

California1998 1999 2000

Missing Total

White Hispanic Asian/Oth. Nat Amer

Note: California child population is 7% Black, 35% White, 44% Hispanic 10% Asian/Other, 0.5% Native American, 3.5% two or more.

Ethnic Characteristics of Reunified Population

1,6254%

4651%

4551%

6,44817%

13,87837%

14,47840%

Black

White

Hispanic

Asian/PacificIsland

NativeAmerican

Other

Gender characteristicsReunification

Reentries

49% 51%

48% 52%

Age at First Entry into Foster CareChildren who Reunified within 12 Months

Ages 1- 512,209

32%

Ages 6-1010,113

27%

Ages 11-189,55326%

Age < 1 5,47315%

First Entries to Foster Care by Entry Year

29,33225%

27,81024%

30,98127%

28,35424%

1998 Entry Year 1999 Entry Year 2000 Entry Year 2001 Entry Year

First Entries to Foster Care Children who Reunify within 12 months by Entry Year

9,31325%

9,38825%

8,74523%

9,90427%

1998 Entry Year 1999 Entry Year 2000 Entry Year 2001 Entry Year

Overall Populationof children who reunified by First Entry Year

Gender of 1998-2000 First Entries Into Foster Care Reunifying within 12 Months and Children Reentering Care 12 Months after Reunification

4,417 592 4,770 595 4,830 679 5,119 657 19,136 2,523

4,327 572 4,542 550 4,558 599 4,783 642 18,210 2,363

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1998Reuni

1998Reenter

1999Reuni

1999Reenter

2000Reuni

2000Reenter

2001Reuni

2001Reenter

OverallReuni

OverallReenter

Female Male

Age at First Entry Into Foster Care Reunifying within 12 Months and Children Reentering Care 12

Months after Reunification

1,290240

1,353 219 1,351254 1,479

2635,473 976

2,990403

3,059382

3,025

439

3,135426

12,2091,650

2,334286

2,586295

2,525282

2,668302

10,1131,165

2,131 235 2,315 249 2,485 303 2,622 308 9,553 1,095

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 Reuni 1998Reenter

1999 Reuni 1999Reenter

2000 Reuni 2000Reenter

2001 Reuni 2001Reenter

OverallReuni

OverallReenter

Age < 1 Ages 1- 5 Ages 6-10 Ages 11-18

Child's EthnicityReunifying within 12 Months and Children Reentering Care 12

Months after Reunification

1,428 241 1,651 256 1,722 253 1,647288 6,448 1,038

3,443

5023,517

470

3,378521

3,540

50913,878

2,002

3,303368

3,489369

3,606452

4,080426

14,4781,615

374 34 413 18 448 34 391 36 1,626 122

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 Reuni 1998Reenter

1999 Reuni 1999Reenter

2000 Reuni 2000Reenter

2001 Reuni 2001Reenter

OverallReuni

OverallReenter

Black White Hispanic Asian/Pacific Island Native American Other

Results

• Sibling correction was used allowing for the inclusion of all siblings in a sibling group.

• Adjustments in standard errors made by using GEE (Generalized Estimating Equations) as part of a logistic regression analysis.

• Adjusts the standard errors to account for potential correlation due to clustered data – in this case due to sibling groups.

Limitations

• The data for this study is based on an administrative data system.

• Measures of drug/alcohol services only examine recommended services, not whether the services were used.

Models Used

• Bivariate analysis

• Interim model– Does not account for community

indicators, poverty indicators, or services

• Full model– Contains all of the variables discussed

earlier

White

Black

Hispanic

Asian

Native American

Other

Bivariate

1.00

1.33

0.84

0.65

ns

0.31

Interim Model

1.00

1.13

0.86

0.68

ns

0.29

Full Model

1.00

ns

ns

ns

ns

0.35

Odds of Reentry - Ethnicity

Odds of Reentry – Reason for Removal

Neglect

Physical Abuse

Sexual Abuse

Other Abuse

Bivariate

1.00

0.74

0.72

ns

Interim Model

1.00

0.77

0.74

ns

Full Model

1.00

ns

ns

ns

Odds of Reentry – Length of time in Care

0-3 Months

3-6 Months

6-9 Months

9-12 Months

Bivariate

1.00

ns

0.62

0.63

Interim Model

1.00

0.85

0.63

0.65

Full Model

1.00

0.73

0.51

0.52

Odds of Reentry – Age at Entry

Age 0

Age 1-5

Age 6-10

Age 11-18

Bivariate

1.00

0.88

0.84

0.88

Interim Model

1.00

0.89

0.87

ns

Full Model

1.00

0.90

0.88

ns

Odds of Reentry – Predominant Placement

Kinship Care

Foster Care

FFA

Court Spec.

Group

Shelter

Guardian

Bivariate

1.00

1.48

1.35

ns

1.35

1.21

ns

Interim Model

1.00

1.32

1.29

ns

1.23

ns

ns

Full Model

1.00

1.34

1.25

ns

1.38

1.44

ns

Odds of Reentry – Other Factors

Title 4e Eligible

Drug/Alcohol Services

Single Parent

Primary Language

Placement Moves

Bivariate

2.01

2.32

1.19

0.56

ns

Full Model

2.14

2.33

1.16

0.65

ns

Odds of Reentry – Other Factors, pt 2

Percent Female Headed Household

Percent Below Poverty

Entry Rate

Percent Unemployed

Bivariate

1.01

ns

1.10

ns

Community Model

1.01

0.99

1.08

ns

Conclusions

• When variables measuring poverty, drug and alcohol services, and marital status are added into the model – ethnicity is not a significant predictor of reentry.

• Gender is not a significant predictor of reentry.

• A longer stay in care initially is protective. (The shorter the initial stay in care the higher the likelihood of reentry).

Conclusions (continued…)

• The older a child is at first entry the less likely they are to reenter compared to infants.

• Compared to kinship care, different predominant placement types increase a child’s odds of reentry.

• Children who are 4e eligible are over 2X more likely to reenter care than non-4e eligible children.

Conclusions (continued…)

• Children whose parent(s) are assigned drug/alcohol services are over 2X more likely to reenter care than other children.

• Coming from a primarily non-English speaking home is protective. Children from primarily non-English speaking homes are 2/3 as likely to reenter care.

• For every 1% increase in the pct of female headed households in the census tract there is 1.01X the odds of reentering care.

Conclusions (continued…)

• For every 10 per 1,000 increase in the entry rate at the Census Tract level there is 1.08X increase in the odds of reentering foster care.

• Gender, Entry Year, Number of placement moves, Percent Below the Poverty Line and Percent Unemployed were not significant predictors of reentry.

Implications

• For children in care for only a short period of time - post-reunification services should be available for at least 12 months.

• Workers need to be aware of how severe of an effect poverty has on children's risk of entry/reentry.

• Formalized coordination with drug/alcohol services, and mental health services are needed.

The End!

Terry V. Shaw – tvshaw@berkeley.edu

(510) 643 - 2585

Center for Social Services Research Web Pagehttp://cssr.berkeley.edu/CWSCMSReports