Presenter(s)

• Tabitha Padgett, Doctoral Student, School Psychology, North Carolina State University

Abstract

Kinship care placement is considered to be the least restrictive and safest setting on the continuum of out of home (OOH) placements. Past research suggests that compared to White youth, Black youth are more likely to be placed in kinship care arrangements. Although there are many benefits to kinship placement for Black youth, these youth may be more at risk for placement instability due to the lack of support and resources that exist for kinship care providers in states like North Carolina. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore kinship care placement as a predictor of placement instability among Black adolescents in North Carolina, and to determine if the presence of an emotional disturbance (ED) further strengthened the association. Data were drawn from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), conducted through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. Throughout this study, multiple variables described were explored to address the research questions proposed throughout. In sum, findings show that Black youth in NC are not placed in kinship care placements at higher rates than their peers of other races. Additionally, Black youth in kinship care tend to experience less placement instability than their peers who are placed in traditional foster care and neither group (kinship care vs non-kinship care) did not exhibit ED that were statistically significant.