An experiment in family reunification: Correlates of outcomes at one-year follow-up

Fraser, Mark W.; Walton, Elaine; Lewis, Robert; Pecora, Peter J.; Walton, Wendel K.

doi:10.1016/0190-7409(96)00009-6

Cited by 83 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…One hypothesis is that the factors that led to the youths' initial removal (eg, inadequate parenting) were still present when the youth returned home. In theory, the decision to reunify is based on the remediation of problems that led to the child's initial removal, 26,49 yet studies have found high rates of reabuse and neglect among those returning home. 20,25,50 -52 It is also possible that stressors associated with reunification (such as renegotiating relationships), or the sequelae of this stress, led to the negative outcomes observed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Children Who Return Home From Foster Care: A 6-Year Prospective Study of Behavioral Health Outcomes in Adolescence

2001

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ABSTRACT. Objective. Returning children to their biological families after placement in foster care (ie, reunification) has been prioritized with legislation. Comprehensive studies of child behavioral health functioning after reunification, however, have not been conducted. This study examined outcomes for youth who were reunified after placement in foster care as compared with youth who did not reunify.Design. Prospective cohort. Setting. Children who entered foster care in San Diego, California, and who remained in foster care for at least 5 months.Participants. A cohort of 149 ethnically diverse youth, 7 to 12 years old, who entered foster care between May 1990, and October 1991. Seventy-five percent of those interviewed at Time 1 were interviewed at Time 2 (6 years later).Outcome Measures. 1) Risk behaviors: delinquent, sexual, self-destructive, substance use, and total risk behaviors; 2) Life-course outcomes: pregnancy, tickets/arrests, suspensions, dropping out of school, and grades; 3) Current symptomatology: externalizing, internalizing, total behavior problems, and total competence.Results. Compared with youth who were not reunified, reunified youth showed more self-destructive behavior (0.15 vs ؊0.11), substance use (0.16 vs ؊0.11), and total risk behavior problem standardized scores (0.12 vs ؊0.09). Reunified youth were more likely to have received a ticket or have been arrested (49.2% vs 30.2%), to have dropped out of school (20.6% vs 9.4%), and to have received lower grades (6.5 vs 7.4). Reunified youth reported more current problems in internalizing behaviors (56.6 vs 53.0), and total behavior problems (59.5 vs 55.7), and lower total competence (41.1 vs 45.0). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups on delinquency, sexual behaviors, pregnancy, suspensions, or externalizing behaviors. Reunification status was a significant predictor of negative outcomes in 8 of the 9 regression equations after controlling for Time 1 behavior problems, age, and gender.Conclusions. These findings suggest that youth who reunify with their biological families after placement in foster care have more negative outcomes than youth who do not reunify. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed. Pediatrics 2001;108(1). URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/108/1/ e10; foster care, risk behaviors, child abuse, adolescence.ABBREVIATIONS. SD, standard deviation; CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist.C hildren entering foster care have high rates of emotional, behavioral, developmental, and physical health problems and are in need of many specialized services. [1][2][3][4][5][6] In one California study, children in foster care comprised Ͻ4% of Medi-Cal-eligible children, but accounted for 41% of all children who used Medi-Cal mental health services. 7 The limited long-term research on children in foster care suggests that they are at risk for continued difficulties, including not finishing high school, incarceration, and chronic problems with employment and housing....

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confidence: 99%

Children Who Return Home From Foster Care: A 6-Year Prospective Study of Behavioral Health Outcomes in Adolescence

2001

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Section: Reunification and Re-entry Ratesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Existing research shows that children with emotional and behavioral problems or a disability, children removed for neglect, as well as very young children and adolescents are less likely to be reunified with their birth families (Fraser et al 1996;Taussig et al 2001;Teare et al 2001;Wells and Correia 2010). Family factors associated with a lower likelihood of reunification include extreme poverty, the presence of only one parent or caregiver in the home, younger caregivers, caregivers with less education, and the existence of parental mental illness or substance abuse issues (Bronson 2005;Fraser et al 1996; Thomlison et al 1996;Wells and Correia 2010). Ethnicity is also a factor, as recent data suggest that in some communities, African American children are less likely to be reunified than white children (Connell et al 2006), and experience slower times to reunification when it does occur (Harris and Courtney 2003;Wells and Guo 1999) (see Wulczyn 2011 for data on county variability in racial disparity).…”

Section: Reunification and Re-entry Ratesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…These support services for families need to involve multiple systems and address the many domains affecting family and child functioning, including the home, school, and the community (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2006). Services identified as particularly effective during the reunification process include intensive case management (Ryan et al 2003); concrete help, such as food, housing, and utilities (Cheng 2010;Fraser et al 1996;Wells and Fuller 2000); substance abuse treatment (Smokowski and Wodarski 1996); and, home-based services such as family preservation services (Walton 1998), parenting and life skills development, including family therapy (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2006). The following practice elements have been found to be predictive of reunification success: frequent pre-reunification parental visitation between children and their family of origin (Davis et al 1996;Hess 1988;Leathers 2002); engagement of families in the reunification process (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2006); individualized assessment of parental circumstances and ''family-centered'' case planning with clearly articulated goals that are agreed upon by all parties involved (Macdonald 2001;U.S.…”

Section: Service Delivery For Reunificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Family Reunification of Youth in Foster Care with Complex Mental Health Needs: Barriers and Recommendations

Madden

Maher²,

McRoy

et al. 2012

Child Adolesc Soc Work J

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This study presents findings of a formative evaluation of an innovative pilot program designed to reunify and reintegrate foster youth with complex mental and behavioral needs in residential treatment centers or therapeutic foster care with their families in the community. Data collection methods included in-depth structured case file reviews and semi-structured interviews with the youth, as well as their caregivers, Child Protective Services caseworkers, and pilot program staff. The participants provided important insights regarding system, program, and case-level barriers to the successful reunification of these youth back into the community. Training, practice, and policy recommendations are discussed.

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“…For many cases, the ideal outcome following separation is the resolution of family problems and eventual reunification (Gelles, 1993). Between 50% and 75% of children who are removed from home due to maltreatment are eventually returned to their families (Fraser, Walton, Lewis, Pecora, & Walton, 1996). However, between 20% and 40% of the children who have been returned to the home will experience subsequent out-of-home placement (Fraser et al, 1996).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Important Risk Factors in Home-Removal Decisions: Social Caseworker Perceptions

DeRoma

Kessler

McDaniel³

et al. 2006

Child Adolesc Soc Work J

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The current study identified factors that played a significant role in decisions to separate a child from his/her primary caretakers for 51 social service caseworkers. Participants rated and ranked the importance of 35 child risk/well-being factors used in recent child separation dispositions. Results indicated that boundary setting with a perpetrator of abuse and parental motivation played a significant role in decision-making. These preliminary findings suggest the need to prioritize services aimed at the promotion of the non-maltreating parentÕs limit setting with the perpetrator of abuse, as well as caretaker motivation/cooperation.

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An experiment in family reunification: Correlates of outcomes at one-year follow-up

Cited by 83 publications

References 14 publications

Children Who Return Home From Foster Care: A 6-Year Prospective Study of Behavioral Health Outcomes in Adolescence

Children Who Return Home From Foster Care: A 6-Year Prospective Study of Behavioral Health Outcomes in Adolescence

Family Reunification of Youth in Foster Care with Complex Mental Health Needs: Barriers and Recommendations

Important Risk Factors in Home-Removal Decisions: Social Caseworker Perceptions

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