Children discharged from kin and non-kin foster homes: Do the risks of foster care re-entry differ?

This study investigates whether the type of pre-discharge placement, kinship versus non-kinship foster care, has a net impact on children's likelihood of re-entering substitute care after controlling for possible selection biases through the use of regression adjustment and propensity score matching (PSM). Children in kin and non-kin foster care are compared on their rates of foster care re-entry, using bivariate comparisons and accelerated failure time (AFT) models. Lower rates of foster care re-entry after reunification from kinship homes are attributed to differences in child characteristics at removal, greater stability of kin placements, and gate-keeping functions that agencies and courts exercise over discharge and re-entry options. Children adopted from kinship and non-kinship homes exhibit similar re-entry rates, but the results for legal guardianship are mixed.

Research highlights► We examined the effects of pre-discharge placement type on foster care re-entry. ► Lower re-entry rates after reunification from kinship homes were due to 3 factors: ► Child characteristics, stability, and agencies and courts' gate-keeping functions. ► Re-entry rates were similar for children adopted from kinship and non-kinship homes. ► Mixed results were reported for re-entry after legal guardianship.