THE REPORTED HEALTH AND FUNCTIONING OF CHILDREN MALTREATED WHILE IN FAMILY FOSTER-CARE

The ability to assess accurately risk factors for maltreatment while i n family foster care is essential for developing prevention and interv ention strategies. Yet information about children involved in maltreat ment episodes while in foster care is severely limited. This correlati onal study reports on characteristics, health, and functioning paramet ers of all 78 children with substantiated maltreatment reports between 1984-1988 in an urban foster care program as compared to a random sam ple of 229 nonmaltreated children in foster care in the same time peri od. Almost 50% of the substantiated maltreatment was sexual abuse with the remainder physical abuse and neglect. Problems in health, develop ment, and functioning were reported in the social services record for a large number of all children, but children sexually abused while in care were significantly more likely to have a nonkinship placement, an d to have mental health and development problems identified. Physical abuse and neglect while in foster care were not associated with child health and functioning characteristics. The implications of these resu lts are discussed within the context of the data source used.