A new study from the School of Social Work’s Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds light on an often-overlooked issue: why some children experience maltreatment even after being placed in foster care. Although the percentage of children who experience abuse or neglect while in foster care is small, the consequences are serious. For children who have already endured trauma, experiencing additional maltreatment can cause lasting harm to their physical and emotional well-being. It can also lead to placement changes that disrupt schooling, friendships, and stability.

The study, titled “Predicting Maltreatment in Foster Homes: The Role of Child Welfare Agency Policies,” was led by Tamara Fuller, Shufen Wang, Martin Nieto, and Zainab Suntai. It examined data from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to understand how child, caseworker, and agency-level factors influence the safety of children in foster homes.

While the goal of foster care is to protect children from abuse or neglect, the research found that certain systemic factors can increase risk. One of the most significant predictors of maltreatment was foster home licensing. Children placed in unlicensed kinship or fictive kinship homes, which are homes with relatives or close family friends who are not officially licensed, were at higher risk of experiencing maltreatment than those placed in licensed homes.

The researchers also found that larger caseworker caseloads, more unrelated children living in the same foster home, and children with mental health needs were associated with greater risk of harm. “These findings emphasize the vital importance of child welfare agency policies and practices in reducing the risk of maltreatment for children who have already experienced the trauma of being removed from their homes and placed into foster care” said study co-author Tamara Fuller, director of the Children and Family Research Center. “New policies that are being implemented under the recently passed Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act in Illinois aim to increase the percentage of kinship caregivers who are licensed or certified. This could have a positive impact on lowering the number of children in care who are maltreated.”

The full publication is available online through the journal Child Maltreatment, and a copy of the publication can be obtained by contacting Dr. Fuller at t-fuller@illinois.edu.