Post-permanency discontinuity: A longitudinal examination of outcomes for foster youth after adoption or guardianship |
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| Institution: | 1. Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2400 E. Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States;2. School of Social Work, East Carolina University, 116 Rivers Building, Greenville, NC 27858, United States;1. School of Social Work, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN, United States;2. School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, OR, United States;3. Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR, United States;4. School of Social Work, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States;1. University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 W. Redwood St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;2. National Center on Adoption and Permanency, Newton, MA 02461, USA;1. Department of Sociology and Criminology, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, Pennsylvania State University, 505 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16801, USA;2. Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, USA;1. Annie E. Casey Foundation, 127 Church Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States;2. University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, 969 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States |
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| Abstract: | For over two decades, federal policies and case practices in child welfare have shifted to prioritize legal permanence for children in foster care, and increasing numbers of children have been placed in permanent adoptive or guardianship homes. Despite this change, little research has examined the long-term stability of legally permanent adoptive and guardianship homes for former foster youth. This study used child welfare administrative records to track a population of 51,576 children in Illinois who exited foster care through adoption or guardianship for ten years or until the age of majority. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to describe the population, and a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was estimated to examine the relationship between child age and discontinuity, controlling for several pre-placement characteristics. Results indicated that the vast majority (87%) of children did not experience post-permanency discontinuity. In addition, African American children and children who had more moves in foster care had a higher hazard of discontinuity, while children placed with siblings and children who spent three or more years in foster care had a lower hazard of discontinuity. Study findings also indicated that prevention efforts should be targeted at families with adolescents. This study contributes significantly to the scant literature on long-term outcomes for adoptive and guardianship families, and suggests several areas for future research. |
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