THE SOCIAL AND FAMILY CORRELATES OF SUCCESSFUL REUNIFICATION OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER-CARE

The research reported in this paper is an exploratory effort to descri be the social and environmental characteristics of families that preve nt successful reunification efforts. Social and environmental include income, economic, housing, social support, and family structure variab les. It was hypothesized that these variables would show significant a ssociations with reunification outcomes. Study data were derived from case record review and from computerized data files at DSS. The databa se contained extensive status information on all children, ages birth to 12, removed from their homes for more than 72 hours by DSS from 4/2 9/90 to 10/1/91. Target children were followed during the period they received services and, for nine months after they were reunified with their parents. Analysis focused on identifying factors that predicted reinvolvement with the service system. The final sample consisted of 4 45 Findings were that poverty and economic deprivation, as expressed b y inadequate housing, might be the greatest risk from the social envir onment for successful reunification. Most notable among the social var iables in determining outcomes are the receipt of AFDC and removal fro m a home with inadequate housing. The number of parents in the househo ld did not predict either a referral or a reentry into foster care. A child with medical or behavioral problems was more likely to reenter f oster care. Non-white children were more likely to re-enter out-of-hom e care. The implications of these findings are discussed.