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Foster parent and teacher assessments of youth in kinship and non-kinship foster care placements: are behaviors perceived differently across settings?
Children and Youth Services Review (2002)
  • Thomas E. Keller, Portland State University
  • Nancy Shore
  • Kelly E. Sim
  • Nicole S. Le Prohn
Abstract
With a growing number of children living in kinship foster care, it is important to understand how youths are faring in kinship care compared to youths in non-kinship care. In the present study, we first evaluate teacher ratings of problem behaviors exhibited in school by youths in kinship and non-kinship foster care. We then examine whether correspondences between parent and teacher ratings of problem behaviors across home and school settings differ by kinship status. The youths in the study represent an ethnically diverse sample (N = 185), with significantly more children of color in kinship placements. Across the majority of problem behavior scales on the Teacher's Report Form (TRF: Achenbach, 1991), teacher perceptions of youth behavior did not differ significantly according to kinship or non-kinship care placement. Furthermore, the youths in this study had elevated scores relative to general population norms on only a few TRF problem behavior scales. A sub-sample (N = 122) with foster parent assessments on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL: Achenbach, 1991) permitted comparison of perceptions of youth behavior across the home and school settings for youths in kinship and non-kinship placements. Correlations between the TRF and CBCL composite scale scores (internalizing, externalizing, and total problem behaviors) indicated slightly higher agreement between teacher and foster parent ratings for kinship placements. The non-kinship foster parents reported higher levels of problem behavior at home relative to school. The paper interprets these results and suggests implications for practice and future research directions.
Keywords
  • Foster home care -- Evaluation,
  • Kinship care -- Evaluation,
  • Foster home care -- Perceptions
Disciplines
Publication Date
January, 2002
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation Information
Thomas E. Keller, Nancy Shore, Kelly E. Sim and Nicole S. Le Prohn. "Foster parent and teacher assessments of youth in kinship and non-kinship foster care placements: are behaviors perceived differently across settings?" Children and Youth Services Review Vol. 24 Iss. 1-2 (2002)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomas_keller/27/