Socioemotional Problems Among Young Children in out-of-Home Care: A Comparison of Kinship and Foster Care Placements

Background/ Purpose. In recent years, the number of children placed in kinship care has been growing substantially. Although there is a belief that kinship care is a better placement option for children, research shows that these families are more likely to be poor and experiencing stress, and are less likely to receive services than foster care providers. Results from studies comparing these two placement types are equivocal, with some showing that children in kinship care have fewer emotional problems while others report more behavioral and emotional problems in kinship care. Some studies must be interpreted with caution as they are based on retrospective reports or small non-probability samples. 

This study reports data from children birth through age 5 receiving child welfare services across Pennsylvania. Children (N=4,019) were screened using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire® socioemotional version (ASQ:SE). Three questions were examined: (1) What is the descriptive picture of young children entering kinship care and foster care across the state? (2) How many children show socioemotional problems across placement types? (3) Which child and maltreatment-related characteristics predict socioemotional problems?

Methods. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine child and maltreatment characteristics related to clinically significant scores on ASQ:SE. Independent variables included child demographics, primary referral reason to child welfare, maltreatment substantiation, time spent in the NICU, and rural/urban status.

Results. Roughly 40% of children in kinship care and 44% of children in foster care showed socioemotional problems. Chi-square analyses showed that, compared to children in foster care, those in kinship placements were significantly more likely to reside in urban settings, to be biracial, and to have spent time in the NICU. Children in kinship care were more likely to have been referred to child welfare for neglect, caregiver substance abuse, or intimate partner violence (IPV). Bivariate correlations showed relationships between socioemotional problems and child demographics, referral to child welfare reasons, and time spent in the NICU across placement type. Significant variables were entered into logistic regression models, revealing that children in kinship care were more likely to have socioemotional problems when they were biracial, spent time in the NICU, and were referred to child welfare for neglect or caregiver substance abuse problems. Children in foster care were more likely to have socioemotional problems when they spent time in the NICU, were referred to child welfare for physical abuse, or for IPV.

Implications. A high rate of children in both foster care and kinship placements showed socioemotional problems. Different child and maltreatment factors were related to socioemotional problems in kinship compared to foster care. The results of the study highlight the need to have more services available to kinship care providers. This has particular implications for kinship care providers of biracial children and those in rural communities, where few services may exist. Given the high percentage of children in out-of-home placements who spent time in the NICU, and the increased likelihood of these children having socioemotional problems, this population should be targeted for prevention and early intervention efforts.