Evidence of Disparities: Youth with Disabilities in the American Child Welfare System

Objective: Local-level studies of American youth with various disabilities suggest that this population is known to be at increased risk of maltreatment in the form of abuse or neglect, yet to date, a national study looking at... [ view full abstract ]

Objective: Local-level studies of American youth with various disabilities suggest that this population is known to be at increased risk of maltreatment in the form of abuse or neglect, yet to date, a national study looking at reasons for removal and foster care outcomes has not been published. This purpose of this exploratory, cross-sectional study is to establish baseline national information about the prevalence and experiences of youth with disabilities involved in the American child welfare system in 2012. 

Method: Drawing on data from the Adoption and Foster Care Reporting System, this study will explore the experiences of youth with a diagnosed disability (n=167,594) compared to youth without disabilities (n=359,890).  Adjusted odds ratios were derived from logistic regression. 

Results: Youth with disabilities constituted 31.8 percent of the foster care population – indicating disproportionality compared to the prevalence of disability in the entire population of American children. Foster youth with disabilities were more likely to experience adoption disruption leading to re-placement in the child welfare system.  The reasons for removal that were more common for youth with disabilities were child’s alcohol abuse, child’s drug abuse, child’s behavior, parental inability to cope and inadequate housing.  Youth with disabilities were 40 percent less likely to live with extended family members (versus stranger foster families) during their time in foster care.   Youth with disabilities were twice as likely to be adopted as a foster care outcome and almost three times more likely to die vs. their counterparts with disabilities.

Conclusions: Findings have implications for the prevention of the removal of youth from caregivers, the need for family supports to prevent foster care involvement, the promotion of community inclusion of foster youth while in foster care and the need for inter-system collaboration at the transitional age stage.