Placement disruption in treatment foster care

Rates of placement disruption in traditional and treatment foster care are reviewed. Contextual factors, individual child and caregiver characteristic s, and risk factors thought to influence rates of placement disruption are explored. A model for treatment foster care is described, and data are pres ented on disruption rates for this program. The results indicated that the likelihood of placement disruption is two times higher during the first 6 m onths (17.8%) compared to the second 6 months (9.2%) of treatment Taken tog ether across the first and second 6 months of treatment, 23 of 90 youth (25 .5%) experienced a placement disruption. Findings indicate that age and gen der play a role in disruption, with older girls at the greatest risk for pl acement disruption. Limitations of the study future directions,and implicat ions for treatment are discussed.