Abstract
Objective
Knowledge of the emotional and behavioural problems of children in kinship foster care is scarce.No data on such problems in European countries have been published. This study compares child psychiatric problems and placement characteristics of children living in kinship and nonkinship foster care.
Methods
A total of 214 children in kinship and nonkinship foster care, aged 4–13, participated in the study. The Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) was completed by their foster parents and demography and placement information was collected.
Results
Of the nonkinship group, 51.8 % scored above the borderline on the CBCL Total Problem score, as did 35.8% of the kinship group. The kinship group had fewer previous placements, were more often fostered within their local community and had more contact with their biological parents. Kinship foster parents had lower social status, in terms of educational level.Variables significantly related to high level of the CBCL Total problems score were male gender and location of foster home outside community of birth family. Positive outcome was significantly associated with placement within the child’s own community, which in turn was related to kinship placement.
Conclusions
Placement in kinship foster care should be considered as a viable possibility.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach TM, McConaughy SH, Howell CT (1987) Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychol Bull 101:213–232
Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont
Altshuler S-J (1998) Child well-being in kinship foster care: Similar to, or different from, non-related foster care? Children and Youth Services Review 20:369–388
Barth RP (1998) Abusive and neglecting parents and the care of their children. In: Mason MA, Skolnick A, Sugarman S (eds) All our families. New York, Oxford University Press, pp 217–236
Benedict MI, Zuravin S, Stallings RY (1996) Adult functioning of children who lived in kin versus nonrelative family foster homes. Child Welfare 75:529–549
Berrick JD, Barth RP, Needell B (1994) A comparison of kinship foster homes and foster family homes: Implications for kinship foster care as family preservation. Children and Youth Services Review 16:33–64
Berridge D, Cleaver H (1987) Foster home breakdown. Oxford, Blackwell
Bullock R, Little M, Millham S (1993) Going home: returning children separated from their families. Aldershot, Dartmouth Publishing
Clausen J, Landsverk J, Ganger W, Chadwick D, Litrownik A (1998) Mental health problems of children in foster care. J Child Fam Studies 7:283–296
Dubowitz H, Feigelman S, Harrington D, Starr R, Zuravin S, Sawyer R (1994) Children in kinship care: how do they fare? Children Youth Serv Rev 16:85–10
Dubowitz H, Feigelman S, Zuravin S (1993) A profile of kinship care. Child Welfare 72:153–169
Fanshel D, Shinn E (1978) Children in foster care: a longitudinal investigation. New York, Columbia University Press
Flynn R (2002) Kinship foster care. Child and Family Social Work 7:311–321
Gebel TJ (1996): Kinship care and non-relative family foster care. A comparison of caregiver attributes and attitudes. Child Welfare 75:5–18
Glisson C (1996) Judicial and service decisions for children entering state custody: The limited role of mental health. Social Service Review 70:257–281
Halfon N, Berkowitz G, Klee L (1992) Mental health utilization by children in foster care in California. Pediatrics 89:1238–1244
Heflinger C-A, Simpkins C-G, Combs-Orme T (2000) Using the CBCL to determine the clinical status of children in state custody. Children and Youth Services Review 22:55–73
Hegar RL, Scannapieco M (1999) Kinship foster care: policy, practice, and research. New York, Oxford University Press
Holtan A (2002) Barndom i fosterhjem i egen slekt. University of Tromsø, Norway
Hosmer DW Jr, Lemeshow S (2000) Applied logistic regression. Second ed. New York, Wiley
Hulsey T-C, White R (1989) Family characteristics and measures of behavior in foster and non-foster children. Am J Orthopsychiatry 59:502–509
Iglehart AP (1994) Kinship foster care: Placement, service, and outcome issues. Children Youth Serv Rev 16:107–122
James J (2002) Desperate shortage. 26–6–2002. The Guardian, http://society.guardian.co.uk/adoption/story/0.8150.743755.00. html
Jones MA (1985) A second chance for families: five years later. Follow-up of a program to prevent foster care. New York, Child Welfare League of America
Keller T, Wetherbee K, Le-Prohn N, Payne V, Sim K, Lamont E (2001) Competencies and problem behaviours of children in family foster care: Variations by kinship placement status and race. Children Youth Serv Rev 23:915–940
Landsverk J, Davis I, Granger W, Newton R (1996) Impact of child psychosocial functioning on reunification from out-of-home placement. Children Youth Serv Rev 18:447–462
Larsson B, Frisk B (1999) Social competence and emotional/behaviour problems in 6–16 year-old Swedish school children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 8:24–33
Link MK (1996) Permanency outcomes in kinship care: A study of children placed in kinship care in Erie County, New York. Child Welfare 75:509–528
Marsh P, Triseliotis J (1993) Prevention and reunification in child care. London, BT, Batsford
McIntyre A, Keesler T (1986) Psychological disorders among foster children. J Clin Child Psychol 15:297–303
Millham S (1986) Lost in care: The problems of maintaining links between children in care and their families. Aldershot,Gower
Moldestad B (1998) Egne barn—andres unger? En undersøkelse om sosialarbeideres mening om fosterbarns familie som plasseringssted. Institutt for sosialt arbeid, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Trondheim
Rowe J (1984) Long-term foster care. New York, St. Martin’s Press
Rushton A, Minnis H (2002) Residential and foster family care in child and adolescent psychiatry. Edited by Rutter M, Taylor E Oxford, Blackwell Publishing
Scannapieco M (1999) Kinship care in the public welfare system. A systematic review of the research. In: Hegar R, Scannapieco M (eds) Kinship foster care: Policy, practice and research. New York, Oxford University Press
Shore N, Sim KE, Le-Prohn N, Keller T (2002) Foster parent and teacher assessments of youth in kinship and nonkinship foster care placements: Are behaviors perceived differently across settings? Children Youth Serv Rev 24:109–134
Starr R, Dubowitz H, Harrington D, Feigelman S (1999) Behavior problems of teens in kinship care: Cross-informant reports. In: Scannapieco M, Hegar RL (eds) Kinship foster care: Policy, practice and research. New York, Oxford University Press
Statistics Norway (2000) Child Welfare Statistics. Report
Thornton J: Special Report (1991) Permanency planning for children in kinship foster homes. Child Welfare 70:593–601
Vinnerljung B (1993) Släktingplaceringar i fosterbarnsvården. Socionomen, 6 del 2:3–10
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Holtan, A., Rønning, J.A., Handegård, B.H. et al. A comparison of mental health problems in kinship and nonkinship foster care. Europ.Child & Adolescent Psych 14, 200–207 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0445-z
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0445-z