Kinship placement patterns and children's behavior problems

Purpose: Although the prevailing perspective in research literature holds that kinship care is more stable than other types of foster care arrangements (Cuddeback, 2004), some research has raised the question of whether relatives are less likely to assume care of or less able to sustain care for a child for whom behavior problems have been identified (Landsverk, Davis, Ganger, Newton, & Johnson, 1996; Terling-Watt, 2001). Using the special education classification of Emotional Disturbance (ED) as a proxy for behavioral problems, this study examines the timing and continuity of kinship placements relative to the identification of ED. Method: Probabilistic record matching was used to link administrative data from the child welfare and education systems to examine foster care placement experiences and rates of ED classification over time. Approximately 12,000 children who first entered foster care in Illinois between 1996 and 2001 were followed through June 2006. Placement experiences were categorized according to whether children were in a relative placement the entire time, a portion of time, or none of their time. Those who spent a portion of their time in a relative placement were further categorized according to whether or not their first placement was with a relative. Regression models were used to compare rates of ED classifications among children with various relative placement experiences and to examine differences in permanency rates by kinship placement experiences and ED classification rates. Results: Among children who entered foster care before age 10, 45% spent their full time in kinship care, while 15% spent a portion of their time with a relative. For those who were initially placed with kin but subsequently moved to a non-relative placement, the odds of having an ED classification by age 10 was three times greater than for those who spent their full time in kinship care. Among children who were 10 years or older when they entered care, 22% spent their full time in kinship care while 33% spent a portion of their time in care with a relative. Over 50% of older children had received their ED classification prior to entering foster care. Among older children and taking into account ED status, spending the full time in kinship care was significantly associated with higher reunification rates. Implications for Research and Practice: These analyses suggest a fairly strong relationship between the identification of behavior problems and the nature of kinship care placement experiences – both with respect to the amount of time spent in a relative placement and whether or not the child's initial placement is with relatives. There may be critical differences among kinship experiences based on whether the caregivers are available and involved at the time the child enters foster care, and whether the caregivers have adequate supports and resources to address behavior problems that emerge after placement. Findings from this study will be discussed in the context of policy and practice changes affecting kinship care in Illinois.