Associations between intensity of child welfare involvement and child development among young children in child welfare

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.07.008

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 33, Issue 9, September 2009, Pages 598-611

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.07.008 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To examine developmental and behavioral status of children in child welfare (CW) over time, by intensity of CW involvement using a national probability sample.

Methods

As part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), data were collected on 1,049 children 12–47 months old investigated by CW agencies for possible abuse or neglect. Analyses used descriptive statistics to characterize developmental and behavioral status across four domains (developmental/cognitive, language, adaptive functioning, and behavior) by intensity of CW involvement (in-home with CW services, in-home with no CW services or out-of-home care) over time. Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between independent variables (age, gender, home environment, race/ethnicity, maltreatment history, intensity of CW involvement) and follow-up domain scores.

Results

On average, children improved in developmental/cognitive, communication/language status over time, but these improvements did not differ by intensity of CW involvement. Analyses revealed a positive relationship between the home environment and change in language and adaptive behavior standard scores over time, and few predictors of change in behavioral status. An interaction between intensity of CW involvement and initial developmental/cognitive status was present.

Conclusions

Across domains, intensity of CW involvement does not appear to have a significant effect on change in developmental and behavioral status, although out-of-home care does have differential relationships with children's developmental/cognitive status for those with very low initial cognitive/developmental status. Facilitating development in children in CW may require supportive, enriched care environments both for children remaining at home and those in foster care.

Practice implications

Toddler and preschool age children known to child welfare are likely to have difficulties with development whether they are removed from their homes or not. It would be helpful if child welfare workers were trained to screen for developmental, language, adaptive behavior and behavioral difficulties in children in foster care, and those remaining at home. Additional support for biological, foster, and kinship caregivers in encouraging development is important for the attainment of critical developmental skills, especially for children with developmental difficulties.

Section snippets

Method

The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), the first national longitudinal study of its kind, was designed to examine the experiences of children and families involved with CW. The NSCAW used a two stage national probability sampling strategy to select a total of 100 primary sampling units (PSUs) representing CW agencies, and then eligible children within those PSUs. PSUs were typically defined as geographic areas that encompass the population served by a single CW agency

Procedures

After sampling, study representatives contacted caregivers and asked permission to interview them about the children in their care and to assess the child directly. Baseline (BL; Wave 1 of NSCAW) interviews were conducted an average of 5.9 months (90% of interviews in the range of 2.5–10 months) after onset of the CW investigation to help assure that the immediate upheaval of changing placements or taking part in the investigation would be less likely to affect scores on the standardized

Sample characteristics

Table 1 presents information regarding children's age, gender, race/ethnicity, maltreatment history, caregiver education, prior CW involvement, HOME-SF scores and caregiver income stratified by intensity of CW involvement. For all tables standard deviations are used for standardized assessments to facilitate understanding of effect sizes. Standard deviations are also utilized for other continuously distributed variables utilized in multivariate models. Standard errors are presented for all

Discussion

As children come into contact with CW, important decisions are made regarding appropriate intensity of CW involvement. Developmental issues are an increasing policy concern in this population. Results from this nationally representative sample provide information regarding the relationship between intensity of CW involvement and patterns of developmental change in young children (ages 12–47 months) referred to CW. Main findings include: (1) few differences between intensity of CW involvement

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^☆: The Caring for Children in Child Welfare project (CCCW) is a collaborative effort between the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC) at Children's Hospital San Diego, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh), the Columbus Children's Hospital, the Services Effectiveness Research Program at Duke University (Duke), and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI). The study is jointly funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH59672) and by the Administration on Children and Families (90PH0006). A complete description of the study and a list of key personnel are available at http://www.casrc.org/projects/CCCW/index.htm. It should be noted that this document also includes data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), which was developed under contract to RTI from the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ACYF/DHHS). The CCCW also maintains ongoing collaboration with the NSCAW Research Group. The information and opinions expressed herein reflect solely the position of the author(s). Nothing herein should be construed to indicate the support or endorsement of its content by ACYF/DHHS.

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Associations between intensity of child welfare involvement and child development among young children in child welfare☆

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Practice implications

Section snippets

Method

Procedures

Sample characteristics

Discussion

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Children and Youth Services Review

Child Abuse & Neglect

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Child Abuse & Neglect

Children and Youth Services Review

Children and Youth Services Review

Manual for the child behavior checkslist/4-18 and 1991 profile

Empirically based assessment of the behavioral/emotional problems of 2- and 3-year-old children

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

NLSY child handbook: Revised edition: A guide to the 1986–1990 NLSY child data

Defining child maltreatment: The interface between policy and research

Regression towards the mean

British Medical Journal

The relation of infants’ home environments to achievement test performance in first grade: A follow-up study

Child Development

Effects of early intervention on intellectual and academic achievement: A follow-up study of children from low-income families

Child Development

Communicative functioning in maltreated toddlers

Developmental Psychology

National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW): Wave 1 data file users manual

Attachment and early maltreatment

Child Development

Development of a supplement to the HOME Scale for children living in impoverished urban environments

Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

Children in foster care: A longitudinal investigation

The infant or young child with developmental delay

New England Journal of Medicine

Early intervention foster care: A model for preventing risk in young children who have been maltreated

Children's Services: Social Policy, Research, & Practice

Assessing cognitive development in early childhood