Unaccompanied immigrant children in long-term foster care: Identifying and operationalizing child welfare outcomes
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Date
2022-01-22
Type of Work
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Citation of Original Publication
Crea, T. M., Evans, K., Lopez, A., Hasson, R. G., Palleschi, C., & Sittley, L. (2022). Unaccompanied immigrant children in long-term foster care: Identifying and operationalizing child welfare outcomes. Child & Family Social Work, 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12902
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This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Crea, T. M., Evans, K., Lopez, A., Hasson, R. G., Palleschi, C., & Sittley, L. (2022). Unaccompanied immigrant children in long-term foster care: Identifying and operationalizing child welfare outcomes. Child & Family Social Work, 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12902 which has been published in final form https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12902. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Access to this item will begin on 1/22/24
Access to this item will begin on 1/22/24
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Abstract
The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 was developed with the goal of increasing the safety, permanency and well-being of children involved in US child welfare systems. A growing number of unaccompanied immigrant children (UC) are being served in long-term foster care (LTFC) under the auspices of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). UC are placed in care because an appropriate sponsor is not available pending immigration hearings. Yet, the research literature has been silent on how outcomes for UC can be articulated and operationalized to guide policy and practice. This study fills this gap by exploring how safety, permanency and well-being may be defined for this population. Seventy-nine service providers working unaccompanied children in the Midwestern and Northeastern US participated in 22 focus groups. Findings indicated that safety, permanency, and well-being are fundamental for UC but include different aspects, such as emotional safety in addition to physical safety; the nuances of legal permanency and placement stability in addition to family reunification; and cultural integration as a factor of well-being and mental health. This study’s results can inform organizational data collection procedures, culturally relevant assessments, and a deeper understanding of the experiences of UC in foster care.