Statistics on children, youth and families in Pennsylvania from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Foster Care - Children served during reporting period by placement reason in Pennsylvania
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Why This Indicator Matters
By examining the total population of children in foster care each year by placement reason, researchers are able to track longitudinal trends and changes associated with the purpose of removing children from their homes and placing in them in out-of-home care. As shown in the following table, the most common reasons for out-of-home placement in Pennsylvania are caretaker inability to cope, parental drug abuse, and neglect. Other reasons that children are removed from their homes include abandonment, parent or child alcohol abuse, child behavior problem, child disability, death or incarnation of a parent, inadequate housing, physical or sexual abuse, and relinquishment. Many risk factors have been associated with foster care involvement, including low child developmental status, caregiver depression and alcohol use, previous reports of abuse or neglect, and overall lack of social support to predict a higher risk of foster care entry.[5] Policy designed to address such risk factors can therefore reduce the number of children entering foster care.
[1] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Overview: Out-of-Home Care. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/overview/
[2] Rizvi, M. B., Conners, G. P., King, K. C., Lopez, R. A., & Rabiner, J. (2022). Pennsylvania Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33351411/
[3] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Achieving & Maintaining Permanency. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/
[4] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Achieving & Maintaining Permanency. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/
[5] English, D. J., Thompson, R., & White, C. R. (2015). Predicting Risk of Entry into Foster Care from Early Childhood Experiences: A Survival Analysis Using LONGSCAN Data. Child Abuse & Neglect, 45, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.04.017
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Data Source
Notes
S = Suppressed. Statistics (rates, ratios, percents) are not calculated and displayed for counts less than 10 (or less than 3 for Bayesian/Nearest Neighbor rates). This is due to the unreliability of statistics based on small numbers of events.
Last Updated
Why This Indicator Matters
By examining the total population of children in foster care each year by placement reason, researchers are able to track longitudinal trends and changes associated with the purpose of removing children from their homes and placing in them in out-of-home care. As shown in the following table, the most common reasons for out-of-home placement in Pennsylvania are caretaker inability to cope, parental drug abuse, and neglect. Other reasons that children are removed from their homes include abandonment, parent or child alcohol abuse, child behavior problem, child disability, death or incarnation of a parent, inadequate housing, physical or sexual abuse, and relinquishment. Many risk factors have been associated with foster care involvement, including low child developmental status, caregiver depression and alcohol use, previous reports of abuse or neglect, and overall lack of social support to predict a higher risk of foster care entry.[5] Policy designed to address such risk factors can therefore reduce the number of children entering foster care.
[1] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Overview: Out-of-Home Care. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/overview/
[2] Rizvi, M. B., Conners, G. P., King, K. C., Lopez, R. A., & Rabiner, J. (2022). Pennsylvania Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33351411/
[3] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Achieving & Maintaining Permanency. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/
[4] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2023). Achieving & Maintaining Permanency. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/
[5] English, D. J., Thompson, R., & White, C. R. (2015). Predicting Risk of Entry into Foster Care from Early Childhood Experiences: A Survival Analysis Using LONGSCAN Data. Child Abuse & Neglect, 45, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.04.017
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Data Source
Notes
S = Suppressed. Statistics (rates, ratios, percents) are not calculated and displayed for counts less than 10 (or less than 3 for Bayesian/Nearest Neighbor rates). This is due to the unreliability of statistics based on small numbers of events.
Last Updated
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a strong, effective, and trusted voice for improving the health, education, and well-being of the Commonwealth's children.
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- Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
- 200 North Third Street
- Suite 1300A
- Harrisburg, PA 17101-1589
Contact
- Kelly Hoffman
- Vice President of Data and Strategy
- 717.236.5680
- khoffman@papartnerships.org
- www.papartnerships.org
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