BACKGROUND An increasing number of children are placed in foster care (i.e., a kin or nonkin family home other than the biological parent) due to experiences of physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse, and/or neglect. Children in foster care are at increased risk for a host of negative outcomes encompassing emotional, behavioral, neurobiological, and social realms. METHODS Areas o...

It is essential that research be conducted regarding both the needs of and the outcomes for children placed outside of their biological homes. According to AFCARS (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System Report), approximately 408,425 children in the United States were in foster care in 2010 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2011a). In addition to the large nu...

When being placed into more benign environments like foster care, children from adverse rearing backgrounds are capable of forming attachment relationships to new caregivers within the first year of placement, while certain problematic social behaviors appear to be more persistent. Assuming that early averse experiences shape neural circuits underlying social behavior, neurophysiological studie...

Each year, nearly 1 million children in this country are the victims of abuse and neglect by their parents or other caregivers, and parental substance abuse is very often a contributing factor in these cases. Although estimates vary widely, there is considerable literature that suggests that parental substance abuse is involved in the majority of foster care cases in some locations. It is not s...

BACKGROUND Chronic school absenteeism and frequent school changes, particularly among younger children, may be antecedents for the high rates of school failure and subsequent dropout among youth in foster care. However, the relationship of foster care experience to absenteeism and school change has not been well studied. OBJECTIVE This study examined the association of placement experience wi...

Early adversity can negatively impact the development of cognitive functions, although little is known about whether such effects can be remediated later in life. The current study examined one facet of executive functioning - inhibitory control - among children who experienced institutional care and explored the impact of a foster care intervention within the context of the Bucharest Early Int...

OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of mental health problems, rates of suicidal ideation and behaviour, and use of professional mental health services among children and adolescents residing in home-based foster care, and to compare these rates with those reported for children and adolescents in the general Australian community. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING 326 ...

OBJECTIVE To compare the continuity of care experienced by children who are in foster care with that of children who are not in foster care and are covered under Medicaid managed care and Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS). METHODS This retrospective cohort study used Medicaid claims/encounter data from Washington state. A total of 903 children who were in foster care and continuously enrolled in...

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends comprehensive assessments for children entering foster care. These children may be placed with biological parents, kin, or in nonrelative foster care. It is not known whether health-related needs differ by placement. Chart abstractions were conducted of child welfare and medical records of 1542 children, ages 3 months to 5 years 11 months, admitted ...