Modelling the initial placement decision for children received into care

Initial placements of a cohort of 93 children received into the care of an English local authority over a 3-month period are examined. Sixty-five of the children were immediately placed in a foster home, 20 were placed in a residential home, 4 were received into care in hospital, and 4 remained home on trial. The research reported here focusses on the 85 children initially placed in either a substitute family home (a foster placement) or a residential home. Logit analysis is used to examine the pattern of initial placements. A clearly consistent pattern of placement emerges and a small number of factors explain or predict the initial placement decision. These factors include such child characterstics as age and health, family size and accommodation, and previous care experiecne of a child and his or her siblings.