The First Four Months in a New Foster Placement: Psychosocial Adjustment, Parental Contact and Placement Disruption

Authors

James G. Barber, University of Toronto
Paul H. Delfabbro, University of Adelaide

Abstract

Intake and four-month follow-up measures were obtained for 235 children referred into a new foster care placement over a 12-month period in the Australian State of South Australia. Twenty-five percent of the sample returned home within 4-months, and for those who remained in care throughout, there had been modest gains in behavior, psychological adjustment and adjustment at school. On the other hand, there were considerable levels of placement disruption, a high degree of non-compliance with parental visiting plans, and a high proportion of children fell outside ninety-five percent confidence intervals for the general adolescent population on most well-being measures, particularly conduct disorder.

Recommended Citation

Barber, James G. and Delfabbro, Paul H. (2003) "The First Four Months in a New Foster Placement: Psychosocial Adjustment, Parental Contact and Placement Disruption," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 30: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2895
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol30/iss2/5