Examining missingness among children in out-of-home care placement in Nebraska.

Autor: Nystrom A; School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska Omaha, United States of America. Electronic address: anystrom@unomaha.edu., Richards TN; School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska Omaha, United States of America., Wood H; Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, United States of America., Cox LM; Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, United States of America., Gross M; Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, United States of America.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Child abuse & neglect [Child Abuse Negl] 2022 Dec; Vol. 134, pp. 105874. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Sep 08.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105874
Abstrakt: Background: Little is known regarding the prevalence and context of missingness (i.e., being reported as a missing person) among children in out-of-home (OOH) care.
Objective: The present research examines the relationship between missingness and OOH care placements as well as predictors and case contexts of children missing from OOH care.
Methods: Point-in-time count data of reported missing persons in Nebraska and administrative records on children's OOH placements are used. Bivariate significance tests examine group differences; case contexts are explored through content analysis of OOH case reviews.
Results: About 30 % of Nebraska's missing children are in OOH care. Bivariate tests show that children missing from OOH care are older and are more likely to be Black and less likely to have their race listed as "unknown" than children missing from their families of origin. Children in OOH who are missing are also more likely to be in group care, on probation, and have greater placement instability compared to children in OOH care who are not missing. Case contexts of missingness include unmet substance use and mental health challenges, experiences with violence and victimization, and few bonds to school.
Conclusions: Screening and interventions for high-need children in OOH care and their caregivers are necessary to prevent children from going missing from placements.
(Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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