State-level policies and reunification: A multi-level survival analysis.
Foster care
Reunification
State policies
Survival analysis
Title IV-E
Journal
Child abuse & neglect
ISSN: 1873-7757
Titre abrégé: Child Abuse Negl
Pays: England
ID NLM: 7801702
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Dec 2023
Dec 2023
Historique:
received:
23
06
2023
revised:
23
09
2023
accepted:
05
10
2023
medline:
1
12
2023
pubmed:
17
10
2023
entrez:
16
10
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
A growing body of research has focused on the relationships of policies and other macro factors and child welfare outcomes. However, to date, few studies have examined state child welfare policies and reunification, despite reunification being the priority case goal among children in foster care. This study examined the relationship between state child welfare policies and other macro factors and reunification, while controlling for child factors. Data came from the 2016-2019 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), which contains case-level information on all children in foster care during each fiscal year. We conducted a series of multi-level survival analyses to observe the fixed effects of state-level factors and child-level factors on time to reunification among children who entered foster care in 2016. In the unadjusted model, children in states with Title IV-E stipend programs for caseworkers had higher hazards of reunification (HR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.44) as did children in states with statewide in-home post-reunification services (HR = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.16-2.28). Children in states that required a master's degree for caseworkers had lower hazards of reunification (HR = 0.72, 95 % CI = 0.59-0.95). Findings from this study highlight the importance of considering state policies and their impact on reunification. Implications for policy, practice, and research are explored.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
A growing body of research has focused on the relationships of policies and other macro factors and child welfare outcomes. However, to date, few studies have examined state child welfare policies and reunification, despite reunification being the priority case goal among children in foster care.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the relationship between state child welfare policies and other macro factors and reunification, while controlling for child factors.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
METHODS
Data came from the 2016-2019 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), which contains case-level information on all children in foster care during each fiscal year.
METHODS
METHODS
We conducted a series of multi-level survival analyses to observe the fixed effects of state-level factors and child-level factors on time to reunification among children who entered foster care in 2016.
RESULTS
RESULTS
In the unadjusted model, children in states with Title IV-E stipend programs for caseworkers had higher hazards of reunification (HR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.44) as did children in states with statewide in-home post-reunification services (HR = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.16-2.28). Children in states that required a master's degree for caseworkers had lower hazards of reunification (HR = 0.72, 95 % CI = 0.59-0.95).
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Findings from this study highlight the importance of considering state policies and their impact on reunification. Implications for policy, practice, and research are explored.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37844460
pii: S0145-2134(23)00490-8
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106502
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106502Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.