Multilevel Model of Factors Influencing Foster Care Decision-Making
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21619601 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hannah Holbrook (0000-0002-4018-7418, PhD, post-doctoral, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA), Jessica Strolin-Goltzman (0000-0001-7278-4703, PhD, professor, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 385-399 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1044-3894 • E-ISSN: 1945-1350 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10443894241307991 |
| OpenAlex | W4408007477 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 56 |
The current study aims to use the decision-making ecology (DME) to understand what decision-making factors influence state child welfare and foster care entry rates. We conducted a multilevel logistic regression model with 4,473 children from a rural northeastern state to understand the DME. Significant child-level predictors of foster care entry were having an unsafe determination on the Structured Decision-Making (SDM) ® safety assessment, high SDM risk score, neglect, physical abuse, and child age below 5 years. In addition to safety considerations, community poverty and caseworker orientation toward child removal were all significant predictors of foster care. The study uncovered contextual system-level factors contributing to foster care placement that are policy malleable and, if addressed, could improve family preservation and prevent out-of-home placement
Economic growth · Economics · Foster care · Logistic regression · Multilevel model · Neglect · Political science · Poverty · Welfare · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Computer Science · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |