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The heterogeneity of children and their experiences in kinship care

L K Leslie1, J Landsverk, M B Horton

  • 1Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA.

Child Welfare
|May 17, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Children in out-of-home care are increasingly placed with relatives (kinship care). This study reveals these children have diverse backgrounds and varied placement experiences, indicating they are not a uniform group.

Area of Science:

  • Child Welfare Research
  • Sociology of the Family
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Growing trend of placing children in out-of-home care with relatives (kinship care).
  • Limited longitudinal research on the heterogeneity of children within kinship care placements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally examine placement histories of children in kinship care.
  • To determine if children in kinship care represent a homogeneous group or distinct subgroups.
  • To identify variations in sociodemographic and maltreatment histories among children in kinship care.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design.
  • Analysis of placement histories for 484 children in kinship care.
  • Examination of sociodemographic and maltreatment histories.

Main Results:

  • Children in kinship care exhibit significant differences in their sociodemographic backgrounds.
  • Maltreatment histories vary considerably among children in kinship care.
  • Placement experiences are heterogeneous, suggesting distinct subgroups within kinship care.

Conclusions:

  • Kinship care placements are not uniform; children within these arrangements are a heterogeneous population.
  • Understanding subgroup differences is crucial for tailored interventions and support.
  • Future research should focus on identifying specific characteristics of these subgroups.

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