Family-Related Risk Factors and Their Associations with Behavior Problems of Children in Foster Care

• Main Author: Ourso, Jena Leigh
• Other Authors: Page, Timothy
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2013
• Subjects: Social Work
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07112013-145111/

Children in foster care are at risk for problems associated with breakdowns in their ecological system. Possible explanations for this may be that childrens daily interactions in early childhood are primarily with their parents. The relationship between child and parent (the dyad) is a crucial part of the way children grow and develop. Past research focuses on the childs behavior problems as separate and isolated instead of focusing on the behavior problems as a symptom of the dysfunction in the dyad. This study explored the role of two specific risk factors for children in foster care and how these may influence their daily behaviors and wellbeing, parental mental illness and prenatal substance exposure. This study used Child Behavior Checklist scores as a measure for childrens daily behaviors. Data analyses include quantitative group- and case-level information retrieved from clinical records. Ecological systems theory is used as a framework to understand the dimensions of problems associated with child maltreatment and foster care placement. Results suggested that children in foster care who have been exposed to a parent with mental illness experience more behavior problems than children who have not been exposed to a parent with mental illness. Case level data suggested that age upon entry into foster care, duration of exposure to parental mental illness, number of placements, and childrens diagnoses could possibly be linked to more behavior problems for children in foster care.