Nancy Rolock
Biographic Data
| ID | 4410699 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nancy Rolock |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nancy |
| FAMILY NAME | Rolock |
| SIGNATURE | ROLOCK N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Case Western Reserve University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9609-574X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 110 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 24 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Instability in adoptive families
NSCAW Adoption Study (n = 383) of young adult adoptees (23 years) and adoptive parents. • Post adoption instability: 8% formal, 24% informal, a cumulative 33% any instability. • Age at adoption and clinical behavioral issues were associated with instability. • Controlling for covariates, only behavioral issues were associated with instability. While adoption is often conceptualized as a permanent solution for children in foster care, it does not …
Motivations to Adopt
This study explored parental motivations to adopt and associations between motivations and family well-being. Multivariate OLS regression was used to examine responses from Young Adult Adoptee ( n = 206; average 24 years old) and Adoptive Parent ( n = 295) samples. When adoptees perceived that their parents were motivated by love for them, or helping a child in need, they reported higher levels of family functioning. Adoptive parents who endorsed…
Perceived sense of closeness and belonging for relative versus nonrelative adoptive families
Belonging in Adoptive Families
Understanding the health and well-being of adults 10-15 years after adoption from the US foster care system
Young adult adoptees surveyed 10-15 years after exiting the child welfare system to adoption reported that they were in good or excellent physical health; did not have a substance use problem; were socially connected; had strong feelings of belonging with their adoptive family; and felt very hopeful about their future. However, adult adoptees reported much higher rates of a current mental health problem than adults in the general population. Unde…
Adoption-Informed Care
Given the prevalence of adoption in the United States, adoptive families need clinicians to be informed and aware of the unique experiences and needs of adoptive families. This study adds to our knowledge of adoption through examining the stories of adoptive parents to gain a deeper understanding of the facilitators and barriers to effective parenting, building attachment, and maintaining post-permanency continuity for their families. Results hig…
Exploring Adherence to Client Treatment Recommendations in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
Purpose: Treatment adherence is a central component of implementation fidelity and key to our understanding of client outcomes. This study examines treatment adherence in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) and four functional outcomes among a sample of adopted youth: sensory integration, self-regulation, and relational and cognitive functioning. Methods: The sample includes 178 youth receiving supportive services from a U.S. adoption…
Living apart after adoption or guardianship
8% of youth in the sample had experienced living apart (LA) from their adoptive or guardianship families. • Factors that decreased the likelihood of LA included: extracurricular involvement in school-related activities, biological family support, and appropriate, adoption or guardianship specific supports and services. • Familial relationships endured within families that experienced LA. For children who are not reunified with their biological fa…
Social Determinants of Health and Child Maltreatment Prevention
Child maltreatment is a highly prevalent public health concern that contributes to morbidity and mortality in childhood and short- and long-term health consequences that persist into adulthood. Past research suggests that social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status and intergenerational trauma are highly correlated with child maltreatment. With support from the U.S. Children's Bureau, the Ohio Children's Trust Fund is currently pil…
Collaborative fidelity assessment planning for the evaluation of a community-based maltreatment prevention model
Tuning in to Teens (Tint) with adoptive parents and guardians in the US
Ensuring the wellbeing and stability of children with foster care experiences is critical. Between 5% and 20% of children experience post-permanency instability, a reentry into foster care after adoption or guardianship; adolescents are at increased risk for post-permanency instability. Few interventions that aim to reduce post-permanency instability have been rigorously tested. This study adapted and tested Tuning in to Teens (TINT), previously …
Understanding wellbeing and caregiver commitment after adoption or guardianship from foster care
This study explored data obtained from surveys of caregivers who had previously adopted or assumed guardianship of a child from foster care in two U.S. states (N= 937). Descriptive analyses summarized the demographic and wellbeing characteristics of children and families, and multivariate regression models estimated the association between these variables and caregiver commitment. Consistent with previous research, most caregivers (> 80%) reporte…
Identifying families who may be struggling after adoption or guardianship
Targeted prevention efforts after adoption or guardianship from foster care are intended to help families most at-risk and prior to the onset of significant issues. Most adoptive and guardianship families adjust well with supportive services in place; only a small proportion have difficulties that result in children returning to foster care after adoption or guardianship. This study examined the use of administrative data to identify families at-…
Evaluation of the Illinois adoption preservation and linkages (Apal) program using a regression discontinuity design
This study evaluated the Illinois Adoption Preservation and Linkages (APAL) program using a regression discontinuity design. APAL is a brief needs assessment and service referral program designed to prevent adjustment difficulties for former foster youth who reside in legally permanent adoptive and guardianship homes. Data for this study was derived from a stratified random sample of adoptive and guardianship caregivers in Illinois who completed …
A Comparison of Foster Care Reentry After Adoption in Two Large U.S. States
Purpose: This study examines foster care reentry after adoption, in Illinois and New Jersey. The provision of services and supports to adoptive families have garnered recent attention due to concern about the long-term stability of adoptive homes. Method: This study used administrative data to examine the pre-adoption characteristics associated with post-adoption foster care reentry. Children were tracked longitudinally, using administrative data…
Adoption Breakdown
Purpose: A rich and heterogeneous body of knowledge about adoption breakdown has accumulated in recent years. The goal of this article is to review the existing research literature on the topic. Method: A comprehensive review of journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports addressing the issue of adoption breakdown was conducted. Results: Terminological and methodological difficulties are discussed before the main findings about the inc…
Post-permanency discontinuity
Post-Permanency Continuity
A new dynamic faces the U.S. child welfare system. Since 1998 there has been a simultaneous decrease in children in state custody and increase in children in subsidized adoptive and guardianship homes. In 2013 there were 2.8 children in federally assisted adoptive or guardianship homes for every child in a federally assisted foster home. While generally lauded as positive, little empirical research chronicles the post-adoption or post-guardianshi…
Community perceptions and foster care placement
Adoption and guardianship
The original thinking behind permanency planning for foster children was to secure a caregiver's intention to provide a permanent home, not to guarantee it. Little is known, however, about how intentions change after permanence or what effect this change has on post-permanency continuity of care. This study examined the mediating effects of caregivers' thoughts about ending an adoption or guardianship, and how this mechanism may be contingent on …
What explains instability in foster care? Comparison of a matched sample of children with stable and unstable placements
Why Do Children Experience Multiple Placement Changes in Foster Care? Content Analysis on Reasons for Instability
This study used content analysis and qualitative analysis to examine reasons for moves in 53 child welfare cases with placement instability. Coding from case records of reasons for placement moves revealed three categories in most cases: 1) caregiver-related reasons, such as maltreatment by caregivers or changes in caregivers' lives; 2) child behavior-related reasons such as aggressive behaviors; and 3) system- or policy-related reasons, such as …
Behavior problems, foster home integration, and evidence-based behavioral interventions
New methodology
Adoption Breakdown
Purpose: A rich and heterogeneous body of knowledge about adoption breakdown has accumulated in recent years. The goal of this article is to review the existing research literature on the topic. Method: A comprehensive review of journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports addressing the issue of adoption breakdown was conducted. Results: Terminological and methodological difficulties are discussed before the main findings about the inc…
What explains instability in foster care? Comparison of a matched sample of children with stable and unstable placements
Post-permanency discontinuity
Behavior problems, foster home integration, and evidence-based behavioral interventions
A Comparison of Foster Care Reentry After Adoption in Two Large U.S. States
Purpose: This study examines foster care reentry after adoption, in Illinois and New Jersey. The provision of services and supports to adoptive families have garnered recent attention due to concern about the long-term stability of adoptive homes. Method: This study used administrative data to examine the pre-adoption characteristics associated with post-adoption foster care reentry. Children were tracked longitudinally, using administrative data…
Post-Permanency Continuity
A new dynamic faces the U.S. child welfare system. Since 1998 there has been a simultaneous decrease in children in state custody and increase in children in subsidized adoptive and guardianship homes. In 2013 there were 2.8 children in federally assisted adoptive or guardianship homes for every child in a federally assisted foster home. While generally lauded as positive, little empirical research chronicles the post-adoption or post-guardianshi…
Why Do Children Experience Multiple Placement Changes in Foster Care? Content Analysis on Reasons for Instability
This study used content analysis and qualitative analysis to examine reasons for moves in 53 child welfare cases with placement instability. Coding from case records of reasons for placement moves revealed three categories in most cases: 1) caregiver-related reasons, such as maltreatment by caregivers or changes in caregivers' lives; 2) child behavior-related reasons such as aggressive behaviors; and 3) system- or policy-related reasons, such as …
New methodology
Community perceptions and foster care placement
Evaluation of the Illinois adoption preservation and linkages (Apal) program using a regression discontinuity design
This study evaluated the Illinois Adoption Preservation and Linkages (APAL) program using a regression discontinuity design. APAL is a brief needs assessment and service referral program designed to prevent adjustment difficulties for former foster youth who reside in legally permanent adoptive and guardianship homes. Data for this study was derived from a stratified random sample of adoptive and guardianship caregivers in Illinois who completed …
Understanding wellbeing and caregiver commitment after adoption or guardianship from foster care
This study explored data obtained from surveys of caregivers who had previously adopted or assumed guardianship of a child from foster care in two U.S. states (N= 937). Descriptive analyses summarized the demographic and wellbeing characteristics of children and families, and multivariate regression models estimated the association between these variables and caregiver commitment. Consistent with previous research, most caregivers (> 80%) reporte…
Adoption-Informed Care
Given the prevalence of adoption in the United States, adoptive families need clinicians to be informed and aware of the unique experiences and needs of adoptive families. This study adds to our knowledge of adoption through examining the stories of adoptive parents to gain a deeper understanding of the facilitators and barriers to effective parenting, building attachment, and maintaining post-permanency continuity for their families. Results hig…
Tuning in to Teens (Tint) with adoptive parents and guardians in the US
Ensuring the wellbeing and stability of children with foster care experiences is critical. Between 5% and 20% of children experience post-permanency instability, a reentry into foster care after adoption or guardianship; adolescents are at increased risk for post-permanency instability. Few interventions that aim to reduce post-permanency instability have been rigorously tested. This study adapted and tested Tuning in to Teens (TINT), previously …
Identifying families who may be struggling after adoption or guardianship
Targeted prevention efforts after adoption or guardianship from foster care are intended to help families most at-risk and prior to the onset of significant issues. Most adoptive and guardianship families adjust well with supportive services in place; only a small proportion have difficulties that result in children returning to foster care after adoption or guardianship. This study examined the use of administrative data to identify families at-…
New methodology
Behavior problems, foster home integration, and evidence-based behavioral interventions
Why Do Children Experience Multiple Placement Changes in Foster Care? Content Analysis on Reasons for Instability
This study used content analysis and qualitative analysis to examine reasons for moves in 53 child welfare cases with placement instability. Coding from case records of reasons for placement moves revealed three categories in most cases: 1) caregiver-related reasons, such as maltreatment by caregivers or changes in caregivers' lives; 2) child behavior-related reasons such as aggressive behaviors; and 3) system- or policy-related reasons, such as …
What explains instability in foster care? Comparison of a matched sample of children with stable and unstable placements
Post-Permanency Continuity
A new dynamic faces the U.S. child welfare system. Since 1998 there has been a simultaneous decrease in children in state custody and increase in children in subsidized adoptive and guardianship homes. In 2013 there were 2.8 children in federally assisted adoptive or guardianship homes for every child in a federally assisted foster home. While generally lauded as positive, little empirical research chronicles the post-adoption or post-guardianshi…
Community perceptions and foster care placement
Adoption and guardianship
The original thinking behind permanency planning for foster children was to secure a caregiver's intention to provide a permanent home, not to guarantee it. Little is known, however, about how intentions change after permanence or what effect this change has on post-permanency continuity of care. This study examined the mediating effects of caregivers' thoughts about ending an adoption or guardianship, and how this mechanism may be contingent on …
Post-permanency discontinuity
A Comparison of Foster Care Reentry After Adoption in Two Large U.S. States
Purpose: This study examines foster care reentry after adoption, in Illinois and New Jersey. The provision of services and supports to adoptive families have garnered recent attention due to concern about the long-term stability of adoptive homes. Method: This study used administrative data to examine the pre-adoption characteristics associated with post-adoption foster care reentry. Children were tracked longitudinally, using administrative data…
Adoption Breakdown
Purpose: A rich and heterogeneous body of knowledge about adoption breakdown has accumulated in recent years. The goal of this article is to review the existing research literature on the topic. Method: A comprehensive review of journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports addressing the issue of adoption breakdown was conducted. Results: Terminological and methodological difficulties are discussed before the main findings about the inc…
Evaluation of the Illinois adoption preservation and linkages (Apal) program using a regression discontinuity design
This study evaluated the Illinois Adoption Preservation and Linkages (APAL) program using a regression discontinuity design. APAL is a brief needs assessment and service referral program designed to prevent adjustment difficulties for former foster youth who reside in legally permanent adoptive and guardianship homes. Data for this study was derived from a stratified random sample of adoptive and guardianship caregivers in Illinois who completed …
Tuning in to Teens (Tint) with adoptive parents and guardians in the US
Ensuring the wellbeing and stability of children with foster care experiences is critical. Between 5% and 20% of children experience post-permanency instability, a reentry into foster care after adoption or guardianship; adolescents are at increased risk for post-permanency instability. Few interventions that aim to reduce post-permanency instability have been rigorously tested. This study adapted and tested Tuning in to Teens (TINT), previously …
Understanding wellbeing and caregiver commitment after adoption or guardianship from foster care
This study explored data obtained from surveys of caregivers who had previously adopted or assumed guardianship of a child from foster care in two U.S. states (N= 937). Descriptive analyses summarized the demographic and wellbeing characteristics of children and families, and multivariate regression models estimated the association between these variables and caregiver commitment. Consistent with previous research, most caregivers (> 80%) reporte…
Identifying families who may be struggling after adoption or guardianship
Targeted prevention efforts after adoption or guardianship from foster care are intended to help families most at-risk and prior to the onset of significant issues. Most adoptive and guardianship families adjust well with supportive services in place; only a small proportion have difficulties that result in children returning to foster care after adoption or guardianship. This study examined the use of administrative data to identify families at-…
Social Determinants of Health and Child Maltreatment Prevention
Child maltreatment is a highly prevalent public health concern that contributes to morbidity and mortality in childhood and short- and long-term health consequences that persist into adulthood. Past research suggests that social determinants of health such as socioeconomic status and intergenerational trauma are highly correlated with child maltreatment. With support from the U.S. Children's Bureau, the Ohio Children's Trust Fund is currently pil…
Collaborative fidelity assessment planning for the evaluation of a community-based maltreatment prevention model
Exploring Adherence to Client Treatment Recommendations in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
Purpose: Treatment adherence is a central component of implementation fidelity and key to our understanding of client outcomes. This study examines treatment adherence in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) and four functional outcomes among a sample of adopted youth: sensory integration, self-regulation, and relational and cognitive functioning. Methods: The sample includes 178 youth receiving supportive services from a U.S. adoption…
Living apart after adoption or guardianship
8% of youth in the sample had experienced living apart (LA) from their adoptive or guardianship families. • Factors that decreased the likelihood of LA included: extracurricular involvement in school-related activities, biological family support, and appropriate, adoption or guardianship specific supports and services. • Familial relationships endured within families that experienced LA. For children who are not reunified with their biological fa…
Understanding the health and well-being of adults 10-15 years after adoption from the US foster care system
Young adult adoptees surveyed 10-15 years after exiting the child welfare system to adoption reported that they were in good or excellent physical health; did not have a substance use problem; were socially connected; had strong feelings of belonging with their adoptive family; and felt very hopeful about their future. However, adult adoptees reported much higher rates of a current mental health problem than adults in the general population. Unde…
Adoption-Informed Care
Given the prevalence of adoption in the United States, adoptive families need clinicians to be informed and aware of the unique experiences and needs of adoptive families. This study adds to our knowledge of adoption through examining the stories of adoptive parents to gain a deeper understanding of the facilitators and barriers to effective parenting, building attachment, and maintaining post-permanency continuity for their families. Results hig…
Motivations to Adopt
This study explored parental motivations to adopt and associations between motivations and family well-being. Multivariate OLS regression was used to examine responses from Young Adult Adoptee ( n = 206; average 24 years old) and Adoptive Parent ( n = 295) samples. When adoptees perceived that their parents were motivated by love for them, or helping a child in need, they reported higher levels of family functioning. Adoptive parents who endorsed…
Perceived sense of closeness and belonging for relative versus nonrelative adoptive families
Belonging in Adoptive Families
Instability in adoptive families
NSCAW Adoption Study (n = 383) of young adult adoptees (23 years) and adoptive parents. • Post adoption instability: 8% formal, 24% informal, a cumulative 33% any instability. • Age at adoption and clinical behavioral issues were associated with instability. • Controlling for covariates, only behavioral issues were associated with instability. While adoption is often conceptualized as a permanent solution for children in foster care, it does not …
Child Welfare and Adoption (22 works) · Psychology (22 works) · Medicine (17 works) · Nursing (14 works) · Foster care (12 works) · Developmental psychology (11 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (10 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (9 works) · Political science (9 works) · Legal guardian (8 works)