Re: Impact of multiple placements

[Vincent Fish <vfish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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I agree with Aron, Ben. I think that's the most compelling study so far, 
for the reason that Aron states. As I recall, in the Newton, et al. study, 
it wasn't just "problem kids [who had] more placements," at least on the 
front end. And when the non-problem kids did have more placements, it was 
found that this negatively impacted their functioning, including their 
behavior.

Best,
Vince

At 11:58 AM 8/25/05 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Ben,
>The most definitive work I've seen to date is:
>Newton, R.R., Litrownik, A.J., & Landsverk, J.A. (2000). Children and 
>youth in foster care:
>Disentangling the relationship between problem behaviors and number of 
>placements.
>Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(10), 1363-1374.
>
>Really one of the few that (at least partially) teases out the 'chicken or 
>egg' problem.
>Best,
>Aron
>
>
>
>Ben Saunders wrote:
>
>>I am looking for definitive research (if it exists) on the impact, if 
>>any, of multiple fostercare placements on children. It appears to be a 
>>well-accepted clinical proposition that children who experience changes 
>>in fostercare placements and multiple fostercare placements are 
>>negatively impacted by these movements compared to children in only one 
>>or fewer placements, or children never removed.  In other words, multiple 
>>fostercare placements result in increased emotional and behavioral 
>>difficulties for children.  However, it also clinical lore that children 
>>with existing significant emotional and behavior problems at the time of 
>>removal are more likely to fail in placements, suggesting a reverse 
>>causal direction, i.e., kids with serious problems are a handful to 
>>manage and foster parents with those children are more likely to just 
>>give up and have them removed and placed elsewhere. Problem kids have 
>>more placements.  Fostercare is not my area, so I am looking for the 
>>best, most well-accepted research into this question of the relationship 
>>between multiple fostercare placements and emotional and behavioral 
>>problems among children.  Any citations, summaries, or directions would 
>>be appreciated.  You may contact me back channel at saunders@musc.edu.
>>
>>Thanks, Ben
>
>
>--
>Aron Shlonsky
>Associate Professor
>University of Toronto
>Faculty of Social Work
>246 Bloor St. W.
>Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
>Canada
>Phone: (416) 978-6718
>Fax: (416) 978-7072
>email: aron.shlonsky@utoronto.ca



Vincent Fish, PhD, MSSW
Licensed Psychologist
700 Rayovac Drive, Suite 220
Madison, WI  53711
USA
608-276-9191
vfish@facstaff.wisc.edu

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