The predictors of unsuccessful transition to foster care

The placement movements of 235 children entering foster care over a 12-mont h period were followed up 4 months after referral into care. Baseline and f ollow-up measures of the 170 children who were still in care at follow-up w ere also compared. Results indicated that adolescents with mental health or behavioural problems were the least likely to achieve placement stability or to display improved psychological adjustment in care. In fact, unsatisfa ctory transition to foster care was found to be so prevalent among these ch ildren that conventional foster family care should be considered unsuitable for them. The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for a wider ran ge of alternative care options for the adolescent population.