Home-based developmental screening of children in foster care

Children in foster care have a high prevalence of developmental delay. A program for developmental screening was designed to address the increased risk of developmental delay among children in foster care. Fifty-two children birth to 18 months were evaluated using the Denver Developmental Screening Test-II (DDST-II), Early Language Milestone Scale-2 (ELM-2), and the HOME Scale. Forty-nine children were screened with the Infant Neurological International Battery. Thirty five percent of the children failed DDST-II screening. Language assessment with the ELM-2 resulted in a mean global ELM-2 standard score of 89. Sixty-one percent of children had abnormal neurologic INFANIB screening exams. HOME scores reflected foster care environments that provided adequate developmental and emotional stimulation for the children. Implications for future interventions should move from developmental screening to comprehensive developmental testing and expansion of foster parent education regarding the growth and development of the foster children in their care.