IMPACT OF CHILD PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING ON REUNIFICATION FROM OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT

This study examined the impact of child psychosocial functioning on th e probability of reunification over an eighteen month period for 669 c hildren, ages 2-16, who had been removed from their birth home and pla ced in either kinship care or foster care. Psychosocial functioning wa s measured from two sources, a standardized measure of behavior proble ms, and information abstracted from case files on emotional/behavioral problems, developmental/learning problems, and physical handicap or a cute medical problems. Results indicated a separate and significant ne gative impact of externalizing behavior problems and behavioral/emotio nal problems on reunification from out-of-home placement. Children wit h problems were one-half as likely to be reunified as children without problems, even after controlling for background characteristics and t ype of maltreatment. The impact of externalizing behavior problems was observed in foster care but not in kinship care. Developmental and me dical problems were not significantly related to reunification.