Analysis of Caregiver Factors and Placement Instability in Foster Care from a Trauma-informed Perspective

Abstract

Placement disruption and related factors are of increasing concern in foster care systems in the United States. The majority of children in foster care in the United States for 24 months or longer experience three or more placements, with children with special needs experiencing an average of four or more foster placements (Leathers et al., 2019; Platt & Gephart, 2022; Skoog et al, 2015). The impact of this placement instability and corresponding losses is significant on children, families and the system itself. Most studies to date have focused on the challenging behaviors of children and other child factors as being the primary contributors to placement disruption. This study aims to expand the analysis of additional factors from a trauma-informed perspective. In this large sample (N = 1213) from a statewide foster care system in the United States, bivariate and multivariate analyses found that caregiver factors including intensity of exposure to child's trauma, sense of competence, support, and years of foster parenting experience accounted for approximately 26% of the variance in the number of placement disruptions observed. These findings suggest multiple points of entry for trauma-informed intervention and training efforts to support caregivers and promote placement stability in foster care.