Suchergebnisse

Previous research suggests that the likelihood of runaway episodes among children in out‐of‐home care varies across different communities/regions. However, the potential regional variation has rarely been reflected in attempts to understand runaway episodes in out‐of‐home care systems. The current study examines the effects of child characteristics, family characteristics and child welfare system‐related characteristics on the likelihood of runaway episodes among children in out‐of‐home care, while accounting for county‐level variations in the risk of runaway behaviours. The authors employed multilevel analyses using data on children aged 12–17 from the 2009 AFCARS database. Results demonstrate that the likelihood of runaway episodes varied across counties. Accounting for county variation, children's ages, gender, diagnosed clinical conditions, family structures, number of removals, number of placements, removal manner, and case plan goals significantly predicted runaway status. Implications are discussed.

This study presents a resilience-based model for the successful reunification of children in out-of-home care services. Individual, familial, and environmental risk and protective factors associated with reunification and reentry into out-of-home care were gleaned from relevant literature and inform the construction of the model. The resilience-based model demonstrates that high levels of protective factors can buffer or even weaken the hold of risk factors, thereby reducing the likelihood of reentry. The importance of resilience-informed interventions in preventing reentry and promoting the continued reunification of children is highlighted. The implications of this resilience-based model for practice and research are discussed.