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RE: New study of foster care outcomes --comment
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'> I hope others on the listserv (more knowledgeable than me) will
chime in with comments.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I am decidedly not more knowledgeable than Dr. Finkelhor in
these matters. Having done about 2,000 psychological evaluations for
parental competence over the last decade, I do have some thoughts on the study
referenced.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>One must evaluate the basal functioning of the child prior to any
intervention before determining efficacy of outcome. There is wide trajectory
of outcome between the progression of a child with ADHD and mild
oppositionality in comparison to one who sits fires, kills animals, and
sexually perpetrates on peers or siblings. Alas, some conditions are
genetically predisposed, and with the alignment of certain environmental
influence, produce pathology that is unfortunately beyond the capacity of
contemporary science to ameliorate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>That being said, the upshot of studies that are broad in scope
and fail to tease out correlation and causation fall into the hands of child
welfare decision-makers, who then adopt the next “overarching philosophy”
(initiativeitis). This results in extraordinary pressure on caseworkers,
who witness situations that are well beyond typical human experience. Each
case is highly nuanced and individualized. No silver bullet, no easy answer.
Find the clinical efficiency between the false negative and the false positive.
And pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Bill moore <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bounce-1603077-6833645@list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-1603077-6833645@list.cornell.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Finkelhor,
David<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, July 15, 2007 8:58 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Child Maltreatment Researchers<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Lucy Berliner; KOLKO@vms.cis.pitt.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: New study of foster care outcomes --comment<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>I
have serious concerns about this study for several reasons. 1) Its findings are
completely based on an assumption that rotational assignment of cases to
caseworkers is the equivalent of a randomization procedure. No validation of
this assumption is given. We all know that there is a crucial need for
true randomization in outcome assessment because there are so many
possible selection influences most of which we are unable to detect or predict.
The author expects us to take his word that he has thought of these possible
influences and accounted for them. 2) Any unaccounted for biases in foster
care outcome research are almost certainly in the direction of worse outcomes
for those in placement, because those being placed typically have more severe
histories and problems. This study could easily be capitalizing on this. 3)
Even if the study is correct, the conclusions only pertain to what the
author calls "marginal cases" (those where the decision could
go either way), but he has no way of specifying just what characteristics
these cases have or how many there are or what portion of the caseload
they represent. In fact, the disagreement among workers decisions may be about
something very specific, not just all cases with some doubt. Urging caseworkers
to err on the side of no placement in a general way may not produce better
outcomes at all. Meanwhile, the study is likely to be interpreted as an
argument against foster placement in general, which is what the USA Today
article implied, and that is a mis-statement of the conclusions.</span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>I
hope others on the listserv (more knowledgeable than me) will chime in with
comments.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>David
Finkelhor* Crimes against Children Research Center* Family<br>
Research Laboratory* Department of Sociology* University of New<br>
Hampshire* Durham, NH 03824* Tel 603 862-2761* Fax 603 862-1122* email:
david.finkelhor@unh.edu<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/"; target="_blank">http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/</a><br>
<a href="http://www.unh.edu/frl/"; target="_blank">http://www.unh.edu/frl/</a><br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>
bounce-1586498-6832158@list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-1586498-6832158@list.cornell.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>NCCPR@aol.com<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, July 09, 2007 8:53 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> child-maltreatment-research-l@list.cornell.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> New study of foster care outcomes</span><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>By now, many of you may have seen a <i>USA Today</i> story on
a study comparing outcomes for children placed in foster care to
comparably maltreated children left in their own homes. For those who
have not, the story is available here: <a
href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-02-foster-study_N.htm?csp=34#Close";
title="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-02-foster-study_N.htm?csp=34#Close";><span
style='color:windowtext'>http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-02-foster-study_N.htm?csp=34#Close</span></a>
and the full study can be found here: <a
href="http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/doyle_fosterlt_march07_aer.pdf";
title="http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/doyle_fosterlt_march07_aer.pdf";><span
style='color:windowtext'>http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/doyle_fosterlt_march07_aer.pdf</span></a>
</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>A University of Minnesota study used a different methodology and
measured different outcomes, but came to similar conclusions. (Byron
Egeland, et. al., “The impact of foster care on development” </span><span
class=f161><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Development and Psychopathology</span></i></span><span class=f161><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>, (Vol.
18, 2006, pp. 57–76)). As far as I know, that study is not
available online.</span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Richard Wexler<br>
Executive Director<br>
National Coalition for Child Protection Reform<br>
53 Skyhill Road (Suite 202)<br>
Alexandria VA 22314<br>
(703) 212-2006<br>
<a href="http://www.nccpr.org/"; title="http://www.nccpr.org/";>www.nccpr.org</a></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:7.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>See what's free at <a
href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503"; target="_blank"
title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503";>AOL.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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