1. Objectifs

Intentions :
This study has two objectives: «1) describe the characteristics of a cohort of children aged 0–12 years, according to the type of family foster care in which they are initially placed (FAF [foster-to-adopt family], KFC kinship foster care], NRFC [non-relative foster care]), based on gender, age, and child’s and mother’s cumulative problems; and 2) examine the links between the type of family foster care and the stability of their placement trajectory, considering the number of out-of-home placements each child has experienced in the five years following first placement while controlling for child’s and parent’s characteristics.» (p. 3)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«This study asks these two following questions: What role does the type of family foster care play in the child’s stability trajectory and what are the characteristics of the children and parents involved in these placement trajectories?» (p. 3)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Cette étude s’appuie sur les données des dossiers informatiques de trois agences de la protection de la jeunesse (Montréal, Mauricie et Centre du Québec, Québec) de 361 enfants suivis pendant une période de 5 ans (ou moins si le dossier était fermé plus tôt).

Instruments :
Grille d’analyse

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

According to the authors, «[c]haracteristics of the sample indicate that kinship foster families are widely used as a placement choice since the KFC group (n = 155) is comprised of almost the same number of children as the NRFC group (n = 156). In line with the modifications made to the Quebec Youth Protection Act in 2007, this result confirms the trend, in Quebec and elsewhere, to favor placement with members of the extended family and people who are significant in the child’s life […].» (p. 6) Also, «[r]esults reveal that boys are more frequently placed in non-relative foster care, and that girls find themselves more often placed in foster-to-adopt families. […] Results also indicate that the age upon initial placement differs according to the foster care setting: children from the FAF group are initially placed at a younger age than those from the KFC and NRFC groups. […] The younger age at first placement in foster-to-adopt families also highlights the trend to use this type of family foster care for very young children with a high risk of experiencing multiple placement relocations (Chateauneuf, 2015; Chateauneuf, Goubau, & Pagé, 2020). Moreover, our results reveal that children placed in NRFC have a higher number of problems than children placed in FAF or KFC.» (p 6) «Multivariate analysis revealed that children placed in FAF are less likely to face a high number of movements, even after controlling for the child’s age, gender, and cumulative problems.» (résumé)