Group Homes and Early Adult Outcomes: Evidence from National Child Welfare Data

In the child welfare system, children with more complex needs often are placed into group home care even with limited evidence that these placements are beneficial. Multiple negative lifetime outcomes have been documented in previous research. Using data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), this study examines outcomes of children placed into group home care compared to those placed in non-kin foster care in the years 2005-2021. While prior research has utilized these datasets to examine child welfare outcomes broadly, few studies have focused specifically on group home placements. The present study examines the question: What are the differences in outcomes for children placed into non-kin foster care compared to those placed in group home care? This study builds on previous research by examining children specifically placed in group home care for longer periods of time, utilizing multiple years of the AFCARS and NYTD data as well as examining multiple long-term outcomes of children placed in this level of care.

Methods:

AFCARS data from 2005–2021 and NYTD Wave 2 and 3 data from 2014–2023 were analyzed. Children from non-kin foster families were used as a comparison since both populations are placed into settings without family members caring for them, but those placed in non-kin foster homes are exposed to a family setting. After cleaning, a sample of 3,744 participants were determined with 46.7% placed in non-kin foster homes (n=1,748) and 53.3% (n=1,996) placed in group homes. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were utilized to examine outcomes along with a series of covariates. A Mann-Whitney U test examined changes in group home length of stay from 2005 to 2021.

Results:

Results show children placed in group homes were more likely to have more negative outcomes across outcomes of employment, criminal justice involvement, substance use, and reliance on social services at ages 19 and 21 compared to their peers placed in non-kin foster homes. A Mann Whitney U test indicated that the median length of stay for children placed into group homes for 60 days or more has decreased significantly from 240 days in 2005 to 209 days in 2021 (p < .001).

Conclusions and Implications:

Even with evidence of decreased long-term stays in group homes, children placed in these settings were more likely to have significantly worse outcomes across multiple domains at ages 19 and 21 compared to their peers placed in non-kin foster homes. These results highlight the negative outcomes for those placed into group home care, even in comparison to similar child welfare peers placed out of the home. Limiatations include only examining children placed solely in one of the two settings during the time period and not knowing the behavioral health severity of the participant prior to placement. Findings underscore the need for more research, practice, and policy initiatives to improve the outcomes for children placed in this level of care.