Benton County, Oregon

 

 

 

Introduction

Oregon’s child welfare agency (the State Office for Services to Children and Families or SOSCF) serves abusive families, neglectful families, overwhelmed families, families in crisis, and families with children exhibiting extreme behaviors. There are 40 SOSCF branch offices located throughout Oregon. Caseworkers in those offices assess allegations of maltreatment, provide services, arrange services for the parents and children, identify and assess prospective foster parents, identify and assess prospective adoptive parents, interact with the court system and police, and assure children and parents are provided the necessities to improve the likelihood of family reunification. Caseworkers must continually balance the benefits of reunifying families with the likelihood of subsequent maltreatment.

The Child Welfare Partnership (CWP) at Portland State University provides educational, training, and research assistance to SOSCF. The research component of the CWP conducts research to recognize the changing client population, provide statistical models for deploying and redeploying staff, and optimizing the use of limited resources. These studies enable SOSCF administration to make informed decisions about serving this needy population of Oregonians.

This report profiles the client population served by SOSCF branch offices. The “Cohort Studies” profile a group of children entering substitute care during a period of time. This report profiles children entering long-term foster care from mid-1992 to 1995; the profiles include parental problems or conditions, child problems, child’s age, severity of maltreatment, barriers affecting family reunification, and services offered to families. The long-term population profiled in this report are children who are in care for at least 14 days during the year after their removal. About 80% of the children entering foster care in Oregon are considered long-term cases; the remaining 20% are quickly returned home and do not remain in foster care for an extended period.

Methods

The average branch office removes between 125 and 150 children per year. Some larger branch offices place over 300 children while some smaller offices place fewer than 30 children per year. A random sample of children entering foster care in a branch office are identified and their records are reviewed. The case file review includes the period from first allegation to one year post-removal. The case records include legal material, medical information, financial information, demographic data, correspondence, service involvement, and descriptions of reported maltreatment.

Reason for Removal

Children enter foster care for a multitude of reasons. These many reasons have been consolidated into 10 categories including physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, parental absence, threat of harm, child’s treatment needs, parent’s treatment needs, voluntary request for placement, and child’s behavior. All abusive and neglectful categories reflect caretaker maltreatment of a child. Each category is briefly defined below although more detail is available on the Partnership’s website (http://www.cwp.pdx.edu/). Most physical abuse involves bruises, broken bones, burns, facial slapping, over discipline, shaken baby, and drug exposed or drug affected infants harmed by maternal consumption of drugs during pregnancy. Mental or emotional abuse includes continual belittlement, yelling, or extended periods of isolation. Sexual abuse includes fondling, penetration, exposure to inappropriate sexual acts or using children to produce pornographic material. Neglect is primarily poor household sanitation, lack a supervision, and inadequate response to a child’s medical needs. Parental absence includes parental incarceration, and children left with babysitters when the parent does not return at the prescribed time. Threat of harm is a caretakers failure to protect a child from a known perpetrator. Child’s treatment issues include children requiring residential treatment for behavioral problems, child sexual offenders requiring treatment, and children requiring hospitalization for mental or medical problems. Parental treatment issues include the hospitalization of a parent for drug/alcohol problems, mental problems requiring extensive treatment, or medical problems requiring convalescence. Voluntary request for placement are situations where a parent requests foster care although no maltreatment has occurred; these situations are not common and are often referred to other community resources. Child’s behavior issues generally involve out-of-control teenagers sometimes involved with criminal activities.

Child's Age Groups

There are approximately 70 million children in the United States and about 825,000 live in Oregon. Children ages 0-17 years represent about 26% of the population in the United States and in Oregon.

In Oregon, children ages 0-4 years represent 29% of the child population, children ages 5-9 years represent 28% of the child population, children 10-14 years represent 28% of the child population, and children 15-17 years represent 16% of the child population. For the population of children entering foster care, nearly half are 0-5 years, 29% are ages 6-12 years, and 23% are ages 13-17 years. A disproportionate number of preschool children are in long-term foster care. Reuniting families with young children is a difficult decision -- the youngest children are the most vulnerable to serious maltreatment, however, parent-child bonding is most important when children are young.

The age of the child victim is one of the most important variables in child welfare. The age of children entering care is continually decreasing as limited resources prohibit serving all needy children and families. SOSCF is forced to prioritize families with the greatest need or most likely to severely maltreat their child. This trend is expected to continue as the demand for child welfare services continues to outstrip the agency’s ability to serve maltreating families.

Level of Vulnerability

SOSCF’s vulnerability system was created nearly 10 years ago to recognize the changing client population. Although numerous child and family characteristics are considered when categorizing a child’s vulnerability, child’s age and severity of maltreatment are the major considerations. There are seven levels in the vulnerability system. Younger and more severely maltreated children are identified as more vulnerable (levels 1-3) and older less severely maltreated children are identified as less vulnerable (levels 4-7).

Level 1 cases involve the most severe types of child maltreatment. Child maltreatment related fatalities, fractured skulls, brain damaged children resulting from shaken baby syndrome, severely drug affected infants, abandoned children, and severely sexually abused children are all considered level 1. Level 2 cases involve younger children exposed to chronic neglect, severe emotional abuse, moderate physical abuse, and children left with babysitters whose parents do not return. Level 3 cases often involve treatment for children or treatment for parents. Children with severe emotional disturbances, physical/medical handicaps, mental problems, and child sexual offenders requiring treatment are all considered level 3. In addition, parental incarceration, parental hospitalization, and parental detoxification treatment are all categorized as level 3. Level 4 cases are milder forms of child maltreatment to young children (ages 0-5 years) and more severe forms of child maltreatment to older children (ages 13-17 years). Level 5 and level 6 cases include mild and moderate maltreatment to older children. Level 7 cases have traditionally been recognized as out of control teenagers. In addition to the chronic acting out teenagers, level 7 cases involve mild physical abuse, mild neglect, juvenile delinquents, and voluntary requests for placement. Fewer and fewer level 7 children are being served by SOSCF; other community agencies are provided resources to serve this population of children and parents.

Child Problems

Many children entering foster care exhibit behaviors. Some child behaviors are related to maltreatment while other behaviors reflect poor parenting of the caretakers. Many of the problems or behaviors require extensive treatment and affect the child’s ability to maximize their potential and become productive citizens.

Most of the older children entering foster care exhibit problems. Although younger children tend to exhibit fewer problems, many younger children later develop behaviors or problems related to the maltreatment. Thus, although 85% of the children entering foster care do exhibit problems, some not identified with problems will later exhibit problems. These estimates are considered conservative and reflect the proportion of children entering foster care who exhibit problems in the year after the removal.

Problems exhibited by children entering foster care are important to profile. More problematic children require more extensive treatment and require more skilled providers. Foster parents will need more training and skills, residential treatment facilities will require more intensive services for more extended periods, and matching of children to prospective adoptive families will require more efforts to minimize disruption rates.

Family Factors

Parents who maltreat children are often afflicted with problems or conditions known as family factors. The Cohort Studies recognize about three dozen different family factors including parental drug involvement, domestic violence, criminal involvement, alcohol abuse, mental illness, unemployment, and homelessness. Monitoring family characteristics enables SOSCF and their community partners to develop programs and services that meet the changing needs of the client population.

Some family factors increase the likelihood a child will be placed in foster care; other family factors increase the likelihood a child will be seriously maltreated. Unemployment, drug/alcohol involvement, criminal involvement, and inadequate housing increase the likelihood of a foster care placement. These family factors are much more common with the population of children in foster care than the population being served in-home. There are other parental characteristics associated with the risk of serious maltreatment. Mothers with young infants who are mentally ill are more susceptible to seriously maltreating their child. Father figures who are criminally involved and prone to violent acts are more likely to seriously maltreat a child.

The factors below include the more important factors associated with risk of a child entering foster care and /or risk of serious maltreatment. When these factors are common in a community, the number of children entering care and the number of serious maltreatment cases are expected to be higher than other communities.

Parental Barriers

There were over 5,400 children placed in foster care in 1996 and over 80% were in foster care for at least 14 days during the year after the removal; about 40% return to the same caretaker(s). Those not returned to the same caretaker(s) are adopted, placed with relatives, placed with a different biological parent, emancipate, or return home more than a year after placement into foster care. Every family has identified “barriers” that influence whether a child is returned home to the same caretaker(s). An incarcerated parent might be released from jail, a sexual offender may leave the family, a parent’s mental condition might prohibit family reunification, and a homeless family might find suitable housing -- resolution of these “barriers” determines if a child returns home. Barriers are generally a limited number of family problems or situations directly associated with a child’s return home. Most problems or situations that prevent family reunification are parental; child problems generally do not prevent family reunification.

All barriers influencing a child’s return home have been identified for each family. When a single barrier is selected for children not returning home, the most important barriers preventing family reunification can be identified. Parental drug involvement (27%), a parent unwilling to be a parental resource (10%), a parent who cannot be located (7%), mental condition (7%), chronic neglect (6%), and alcohol abuse (6%) are the most important parental barriers that prevent a child from returning home. Communities where these barriers are common will have more difficulty returning children home.

Parental Services

Maltreating parents usually require a lifestyle or behavioral change to adequately parent their child. Services provided by SOSCF, organizations contracted with SOSCF, other state agencies, the federal government, and SOSCF’s community partners provide an array of services intended to resolve problems and improve parenting. In addition to the services provided to parents, abused and neglected children are provided services to help mitigate the effects of child maltreatment and modify detrimental behaviors.

There are 38 different services provided to maltreating parents that are recognized by the Cohort Study. The fifteen most common services constitute 80% of the services provided. The average family is provided with four services to the parent(s). About 50% of those services are completed by either parent, about 25% are partially competed, and about 25% are not attended.

Most of the common services listed below are associated with promoting family reunification or minimizing re-abuse. Visitation, parent training, drug/alcohol treatment, counseling, and alcoholics/narcotics anonymous are all associated with higher return home rates. Low return home rates are associated with parents who do not participate with services. Although many services are associated with increased numbers of children returning home, fewer services are associated with lower re-abuse rates. Parent training, drug/alcohol inpatient treatment, individual counseling, and alcoholic/narcotics anonymous are all associated with lower re-abuse rates. Most services require full parental participation to decrease re-abuse rate. A full report on service effectiveness can be obtained from the Child Welfare Partnership (503-315-4268).

Child Services

Eighty-five percent of the children entering foster care exhibit problems. SOSCF and other social services agencies provide treatment services to abused children, neglected children, and children considered dangerous to themselves or others. There are 26 different services provided to children that are recognized in the Cohort Studies. Although one-quarter of the children in foster care receive no services, child’s age influences the number and types of services offered to children.

Children ages 0-5 years average one services in the year after their removal, children ages 6-12 years average 1.9 services, and children ages 13-17 years average 2.2 services. The most common services provided in all age groups is individual counseling. Individual counseling to very young children might be substantially different from individual counseling provided to a teenager. About half the children ages 6-12 years are provided individual counseling, about one in five receives a psychological examination, and about 1 in 6 receive an individualized education plan (IEP). These three services represent about half the services provided to children ages 6-12 years. Children ages 13-17 years are the smallest population of children entering foster care yet each child tends to receive more services. Individual counseling is provided to half the children ages 13-17 years, one-quarter are provided psychological examinations and residential treatment, about 16% receive independent living, and about one in nine receive drug/alcohol treatment, an individualized education plan, sexual abuse treatment, and drug/alcohol evaluations.

Benton Summary

The Child Welfare Partnership at Portland State University conducted the third Cohort Study of long term foster care cases for the State Office for Services to Children and Families. Long term cases are considered children who are placed in substitute care for a cumulative total of 14 days or longer within the year after their removal. Cases including children entering foster care between July 1992 through December 1995 were sampled. Statewide 2,421 cases were reviewed including 45 from Benton County. The cases were randomly selected and reviewed by trained researchers. This summary profiles children entering foster care in Benton County and compares that profile to the state profile for numerous family characteristics including reason for removal, level of vulnerability, child's problems, family factors, barriers to return home, and services provided.

The most common reasons children enter foster care in Oregon are neglect (25%), parental absence (17%), threat of harm (13%), physical abuse (11%), and treatment issues of the child (11%). Statewide these five reasons account for 77% of the removals; in Benton County these same five reasons account for 52% of the children entering foster care. Reasons children enter foster care in Benton County differ significantly from the statewide estimates. In Benton County the most common reason for removal is child behavioral issues (22%) which is considerably higher than the state estimate (5.5%). Neglect, the second most common reason for removal in Benton County (21%) is slightly lower than the state estimate. Child treatment issues (14%) is the third most common reason for removal in Benton County, this estimate is higher than the statewide estimate (11%). Parental absence and threat of harm are both more common elsewhere in Oregon than in Benton county. Parental absence includes situations where the caretaker is incarcerated and where the caretaker leaves a child with a babysitter well beyond the prescribed time. Threat of harm includes situations where a child is at risk for abuse or neglect (e.g. perpetrator residing in the home) although child maltreatment has not occurred. In Benton County physical abuse and sexual abuse are each responsible for 9% of the removals; physical abuse is more common (11%) and sexual abuse is less common (6%) as reasons for removal in Oregon.

Children entering foster care are categorized into three groups--children age 0-5 years, children ages 6-12 years, and children 13-17 years. Of the children entering foster care in Oregon 48% are ages 0-5 years, 29% are ages 6-12 years, and 23% are ages 13-17 years. The age groups served in Benton differed significantly from the state profile in the youngest and oldest age categories. Benton served fewer children ages 0-5 years and more children ages 13-17 years when compared to the statewide estimates.

Level of vulnerability is a child welfare profiling system which considers the severity of abuse and the age of the child. Younger and more severely maltreated children are identified as the most vulnerable (levels 1-3); and older, less severely abused children are considered less vulnerable (levels 4-7). Statewide almost 82% of children entering long term foster care are identified as levels 1-3 whereas only 55% are identified as levels 1-3 in Benton County. Level 2 cases were consistent with the state estimates of 31%; however, Benton County has about half as many in level 1 and level 3 as other SOSCF branch offices. The most notable difference between Benton County and the state estimate is for level 7 cases which were 27% and 8% respectively.

Within each level of vulnerability there are numerous sub levels which accurately describe why children enter foster care. Although the limited number of observations prohibits definitive comparisons between the county and statewide profiles, there are some differences worth noting. For level l cases, severe sexual abuse is more common in Oregon (6.1%) than in Benton County (4.6%); however, abandonment is more common in Benton County (3.5%) than in Oregon (1.6%). Within level 2, estimates of children entering foster care due to chronic neglect are similar for Benton County and the state at 16%. Estimates for desertion and parental mental disability are much lower in Benton County while moderate physical abuse and moderate sexual abuse are higher in the Benton County than the state. There are two notable differences between Oregon and Benton County for cases identified as level 3. Parental incarceration is less common in Benton County (0% versus 8.5% statewide) and child requiring residential treatment is much more common (14% versus 7% statewide). For level 4 cases moderate emotional abuse affects one child in a hundred statewide and seven in a hundred in Benton County. In level 7, Benton County's estimates for children acting out and juvenile delinquents are between 4 and 4.5 times the magnitudes of Oregon's estimates.

The effects of abuse, neglect and family separation often result in problems for children entering foster care. Some children are identified with no problems while others have one or more mental, physical or behavioral problems. Children entering foster care in Benton County are less likely to be identified with no problems (5%) than children entering in other branch offices in Oregon (15%). Victim of sexual abuse (27%), angry/aggressive behavior (27%), and out of control/acting out (26%) are the most common child problems identified in Oregon. These same child problems are 5% more common (victim of sexual abuse and angry/aggressive behavior) and 15% more common (out of control) in Benton County. In Benton County conduct disorder is much more prevalent (20% versus 5% statewide) and delinquent behavior is more common (24% versus 11% statewide). In addition to these differences in the child problem profile comparison between the state and Benton County, sexual activity, academic delay and depression are much more common in Benton County.

Parents who maltreat their children often have problems or conditions that affect their parenting. These problems and conditions are known as family factors. The most common family factor identified for families served by SOSCF in Benton County and Oregon is poor parenting. This factor was present in 72% of families statewide and 66% in Benton County. Chronic neglect is the second most pervasive factor statewide (57%) and is also common in Benton County (52%). About half the families statewide are single parents compared with 28% in Benton county. In addition to single parenthood, there are other family factors that are less common in Benton County including drug abuse (35% versus 50%), teen at first birth (26% versus 45%), criminal involvement (24% versus 43%), domestic violence (20% versus 31 %), alcohol abuse (31 % versus 43%) and families in poverty (16% versus 32%). Non-protective is a factor affecting 26% of the parents in Benton County, this estimate is similar for other parents served in other branch offices. However, divorce/marital problems is a family factor affecting more families in Benton County than in Oregon (23% versus16%).

Barriers are problems or situations that affect the likelihood of a child returning home. Often, barriers are related to the parental problems that caused the placement in foster care. Although the agency recognizes both child and parental barriers, typically the parental barriers determine if a child returns home. The most common barriers for caretakers statewide are drug involvement (36%), chronic neglect (19%), and alcohol abuse (16%). The same barriers are the most common barriers in Benton County. Poor parenting involving the lack of supervision is present in one-fifth of all SOSCF families in Benton County compared to approximately one-tenth statewide. Poor parenting involving attachment or bonding is more prevalent in Benton County (12%) than statewide (5%). In addition poor parenting associated with housekeeping is more common in Benton County (12%) than statewide (3%). For Benton County families, 21% were identified with no barriers compared to 7% statewide. Benton County SOSCF tends to serve more older children entering foster care for their own behavioral problems; many parents of uncontrollable teenagers do not present barriers.

The most common child barrier for Benton County and Oregon is out of control behavior. This child barrier is three times more prevalent in Benton County (35%) than statewide (12%). The second most common child barrier is mental/emotional condition, which is equally prevalent in Benton County and statewide (10%). In both Benton County and Oregon almost half the children are identified with no barriers.

Services are offered to families to resolve issues that brought the child into care, minimize the potential for reabuse, reduce the effects of maltreatment on the child and increase the chance of family reunification. Services are provided through community agencies and directly by SOSCF. Visitation and parent training are the most common services provided to parents in Oregon and in Benton County. Although drug and alcohol evaluation (39%) and psychological examinations (34%) are the third and fourth most common services in Oregon, family counseling and homemaker/resource worker are the third and fourth most commons services in Benton County. Homemaker services provided by a resource worker is more commonly provided in Benton County (28%) than statewide (9%). Similarly, family counseling is a more common service offered twice as often to long term foster care families in Benton County (34%) than in Oregon (16%). Conversely, Benton County provided fewer of the following services when compared to the state profile: family unity (7% versus 17%) psychological examinations (26% versus 34%) and drug/alcohol evaluations (23% versus 40%).

Services to children are intended to minimize the effects of maltreatment and modify behavior. More services are offered to SOSCF children in Benton County than elsewhere in Oregon. The most common service offered to children in foster care is individual counseling (35% in Benton County and 32% statewide). One-quarter of children in Benton County receive residential treatment which is substantially higher than the statewide estimate (10%). Similarly, individual educational plans (IEPs) are more common in Benton County (22%) than in Oregon (10%). Psychiatric/psychological examinations and sexual abuse victim treatment are slightly more common in Benton County than statewide. Statewide about 28% of children entering foster care do not receive additional services; only 19% of the children served in Benton County do not receive additional services.

The Benton County SOSCF Branch and their community partners serve families at risk, protect vulnerable children, and prevent reabuse. By working to diminish abuse and neglect, the agency endeavors to preserve the emotional and physical well being of children and families and to promote healthier family functioning.


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