Foster Care Literature Review

This paper will look at the effects of foster care placement on children. The literature review will discuss how foster placement affect children educationally, mentally, behavioral, and developmental. Children are placed in foster care due to unwholesome living situations, mistreatment, and negligence. According to the 2010 census 74.2 million children are living in foster care in the United States, and 101,840 children up for adoption (foster club website). Foster care children and systems are lacking many things such as adequate elementary and secondary education. These children also, lack a stabled living environment. Not only are they lacking things, but they have issues with behavioral health and general well-being. Students either will

transfer or withdraw from college because they are not ready for college. There is a correlation between foster care and homelessness. One fifth of foster care children are homeless at least once.
Children placed in foster care suffer from several unwanted hardships.

One of the hardships they face are in academics. Due to these kids experiencing moving around from placement to placement this could affect their academics hastily (Trout, Hagaman, Casey, Reid, Epstein, M.H., 2008). There have been studies to prove that those that are placed under foster care may complete high school, but may not continue and be ready to seek secondary or college education versus those that were not placed under foster care (Blome, 1997 et al..; 2001). Many foster care kids are affected by the move. Moving in and out of foster care brings on new schools, new peers, teachers and sometimes new care givers or foster care parents which affect these children as well. According to Brock (2010), foster care children will need help upon their first year of college while taking college courses. These children will likely be
placed in educational courses to gain the adequate knowledge that they are lacking. Merdinger et al.’s (2005) study indicated that foster care kids do not survive in college academically (Merginger et al., 2005). Foster care youth may miss days or even months from school due to them moving around from place to place. Research has shown that foster care children score 16 to 20 percent below the children that are not in foster care (youth.gov). Less than 60 percent of these children graduate from high school; and with only three percent go out to seek secondary education.

(youth.gov)
Mental issues are a big thing in the foster care systems. Children that live in a foster care system suffer from more mental disorders than those children that are not in foster care (Harder 2013). Many children that are in foster care show signs of depression and are very aggressive. Not only are they suffering from hose issue their social skills are poor and they portray negative behavior. A study found that one-third of former foster care youth suffer from mental health disorders. Mental illness or disorders can be conditions that has an effect on one’s mood, thinking, and behavior. These disorders include: depression, social phobia, alcohol abuse, or substance abuse. (Youth.Gov) . Children and adults that were in foster care in the past shown to have a great amount of emotional and behavior issues. Studies show that 40% of youth in foster care, up to 80% of these children show signs of behavioral and mental issues (Clausen). Youth in foster care and adults who previously were placed in foster care have excessively high rates of emotional and behavioral disorders. Many think that because of no mental health screening being done after the kids enters foster care. If screening is not done, then if there are behavioral or mental issues with these kids there is nothing to determine it. Therefore, the need for mental health screening and services are a need in the foster care systems.

According to Colemen-Cowger, adolescents in foster care will likely engage in behaviors that will lead to serious physical health, which will lead to drug usage and higher chances of them engaging in sexual activities (Colemen-Cowger 2011).

Form foster care youth showed a history of using drugs and are suffering from substance abuse. Adolescents that are in foster care are five times more likely to be dependent on drugs such as; marijuana, tobacco, heroin, and other drugs as well (Colemmen-Cowger).Due to the engagement in sexual behavior it puts them at a higher chance of coming in contact with a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Youth in foster care engage in sexual behavior earlier than those who are not in foster care (Boonstra, 2011). A study has shown that 15% of youth in foster care between ages 13 and 18 have had a sexually transmitted disease once. Many of these children have been sexually abused, which places them at a higher risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (Elze et al 2001). Many teens living in foster care are at risk of becoming pregnant earlier than those who are not in foster care (Boonstra et al

2011).
Children in foster care suffer from developmental issues. Up to 60% of children in foster care experience one or more of the types of developmental delays. These developmental delays include language delays, cognitive issues, gross motor difficulties, and growth problems. There are 57% of foster care children that experience language delays, with 33% having developed cognitive issues. Some also, suffer from motor issues ranking at 31% and 10% experience growth issues (Silver et a., 1999: Simms & Halfon, 1994). Due to a lot of these kids having developmental delays they will likely remain under foster care (Horowitz, Simms, & Farrington 1994). Abuse, neglect, and placement play an affected on the children in brain development. Children in foster care have shown higher rates in developmental issues. Many foster care children learning ability are often delayed. Learning disabilities are delayed due to the fact that many of these children have suffered from child abuse, neglect, alcohol or drug abuse while their parents were pregnant. With their mom using drugs and other substances while pregnant these types of things lead to early birth or premature birth to these children. These delays can include speech, or being able to continue on to many milestones that they should be able to complete. Children placed in foster care have a higher chance of developing growth abnormalities and other problems too (Kool & Kennedy 2003).
In conclusion, the purpose of this review was to view the effects of foster care placement on children. Based on the research findings, children are affected educationally, mentally, behaviorally, and developmental. There are a large amount of children currently placed in foster care. Children are affected in the area of education due to them having to be moved around a lot in and out of foster care. This affects their learning and may cause confusion to arise. Foster children are affected mentally due to neglect and abuse and other substance abuse prior to birth. Behavioral issues arise more likely with foster care children than none foster care children. Developmental issues are present to majority of foster care children as well that affects them cognitively and language and speech impediments. Foster care placement has had these affects and more on children and has caused an issue in learning, their ability to learn, and other issues that some have yet faced. What effects does foster care placement have on children?