Date of Award
8-2010
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dr. Gregory J. Howard
Second Advisor
Dr. Barry Goetz
Third Advisor
Dr. David Hartmann
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Campus Only
Abstract
In 1997, the Federal government signed legislation that was expected to increase the number of adoptions each year and reduce the growing number of foster children entering state care. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not that Federal legislation had the intended impact on the lives of foster children. It was hypothesized that 1) compared to the years before the first round of Program Improvement Plans, the median length of time spent in foster care would be lower for the years after the first round of Program Improvement Plans was put into effect; and 2) the higher the percentage of children in foster care, the percentage of foster children age thirteen thru seventeen, the percentage of foster children physically, sexually, and/or emotionally abused, and the percentage of foster children that were not white, the lower the change in median length of time spent in foster care would be. This study found the Federal legislation to have a limited impact.
Recommended Citation
Niblock, Kristy Nicole, "Foster Care Aftermath: Comparing Permanency Data before and after the First Round of Program Improvement Plans" (2010). Masters Theses. 360.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/360