Community perceptions and foster care placement: A multi-level analysis |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 2400 E. Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States;2. Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois–Chicago, 1040 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607, United States;3. Department of Sociology, University of Illinois–Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607, United States;1. ‘Pleegzorg Vlaams-Brabant en Brussel’, Sainctelettesquare 17, 1000 Brussels, Belgium;2. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Clinical and Lifespan Psychology, Pleinlaan 2, 1000 Brussels, Belgium;1. Canada Research Chair in Social Services for Vulnerable Children, School of Social Work, University of Montreal, 3150, Jean-Brillant, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada;2. Centre for Research on Children and Families, McGill University, 3506, University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2A7, Canada;3. School of Social and Behavioral Health Science, Oregon State University, 462 Waldo Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;1. Youth Protection Amsterdam Area, Overschiestraat 57, 1062 HN Amsterdam, The Netherlands;2. Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Research group on Implementation and Effectiveness in Youth Care Services, Wibautstraat 5a, 1091 GH Amsterdam, The Netherlands;3. University of Amsterdam, Research Institute on Child Development and Education, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands;1. McGill University, Centre for Research on Children and Families, Canada;2. McGill University, Faculty of Social Work, Canada;3. University of Toronto, Faculty of Social Work, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Signs of physical and social disorder in a community have the potential to influence the perceptions about community, which could, in turn, impact the decision making processes involved in child maltreatment investigations. While extant research has demonstrated a link between community context and child maltreatment rates, there is a dearth of research examining the potential relationship between social conditions in a community and the child welfare system's response to allegations of neglect. This study examined the relationship between child- and community-level characteristics and the decision to place a child in foster care. Two data sets were linked, one containing detailed observations of community conditions (e.g., cigarette and alcohol advertisements) and a second with individual child level information about child welfare investigations. Multilevel models allowed for the simultaneous understanding of child- and community-level characteristics. The results indicated strong associations between individual characteristics and foster care placement. The race or ethnicity of the child was a strong predictor of entry into foster care, and young children were much more likely to be placed in foster care than older children. Furthermore, community factors were also associated with placement into foster care. Specifically, the presence of litter and graffiti and the lack of security signage in a neighborhood appeared to impact the decision making process for foster care. |
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