PREDICTORS OF OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT IN A FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM - ARE WELFARE RECIPIENTS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE

Participants in a statewide family presentation program were classifie d on the basis of income level and enrollment in public assistance. Th ese variables, along with other economic, parent, and child risk facto rs, were used to predict the probability of out-of-home placements at the close of this intervention program. Results revealed that neither low income nor receiving public assistance was predictive of having a child removed from the home. Higher levels of child-centered risk and parent-centered risk were the only consistent predictors of placement outcomes. Additional analyses revealed that family characteristics (e. g., history of psychiatric care, prior child placements, and involveme nt with the legal system) also were typical of families experiencing o ut-of-home placements. This study challenges the stereotype of low-inc ome or welfare families being at greater risk of having a child remove d from their home. Findings are discussed in the context of recent wel fare reform initiatives and implications for future family policy rese arch.