NCJ Number
228660
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 382-386
Date Published
November 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study examined medical status changes between foster care placements to determine whether medical status improved and whether medical status changes predicted reentry into care.
Abstract
Support was not found for a distinct medical profile for students who reenter foster care, as students with a single placement had a similar number of current diagnoses and recommendations. Minor differences that were detected appear to be related to the student's age or physicians deferring examination. The study suggests that although others have reported relationships between health and foster care reentry, this study failed to identify medical status as a predictor or mediator of multiple foster care placements for a broad sample of school-aged children. This study sought to answer specific questions, which included: (1) do school-age children who reenter foster care exhibit a different medical profile at initial placement from matched comparison participants with a single foster care placement; and (2) does the medical profile of school-age children reentering foster care differ between placements? It was hypothesized that school-age children reentering care would exhibit greater medical problems than those not reentering care and that health status would improve between placements. Three hundred and ninety-two school-age children reentering foster care received comprehensive medical evaluations on each foster care entry. Tables and references