Grant 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.

Grant Summary

The Child Welfare Partnership at Portland State University reviewed 2,421 cases of children entering long-term foster care for the State Office for Services to Children and Families. Twenty-seven cases of children entering long-term foster care in Grant County were included in this sample. Long-term cases are considered those with children who are placed in foster care and remain in care for a least 14 days in the year after the removal. Children entering foster care between July 1992 through December 1995 were included in the sample. This summary profiles children entering foster care in Grant County and compares that profile to the state profile. The information gleaned from case records includes the type of maltreatment prompting the foster care placement, the severity of the maltreatment, the child's problems, family factors, barriers to returning children home, and services offered to families.

The most common reasons children enter foster care in Oregon include neglect (25%), parental absence (17%), threat of harm (13%), physical abuse (11%), and treatment issues of the child (11%). These five reasons account for 77% of the removals statewide and in Grant County. Although reasons children enter foster care in Grant County are similar to the reasons children enter foster care in Oregon, a slightly higher proportion of parental absence (22%), and a slightly higher proportion of threat of harm cases exist in Grant County when compared to the statewide estimates. Parental absence includes cases of parental incarceration and leaving children with a baby-sitter beyond the prescribed time. Threat of harm are situations where children are at risk yet maltreatment has not occurred (e.g. a known perpetrator is residing in the home).

The child’s age is an important consideration when assessing cases of child abuse and neglect. Young children are more vulnerable but need more interaction with parents to become attached. Older children are less vulnerable but better able to verbalize their needs. In Oregon 48% of children entering long term foster care are ages 0-5 years, 29% are ages 6-12 years and 23% are ages 13-17 years. In Grant County, 30% are ages 0-5 years, 37% are ages 6-12 years, and 33% are ages 13-17 years.

Level of vulnerability is a seven level system that enables child welfare experts to recognize the changing client population. The primary considerations for categorizing a case as level 1-7 includes the severity of maltreatment and the age of the child. Younger and more severely maltreated children are identified as the most vulnerable (levels 1-3) while older and less severely abused children are considered the least vulnerable (levels 4-7). Statewide almost 82% of children are categorized as levels 1-3, however 89% of the children entering foster care in Grant County are categorized as level 1-3. The proportion of level 1 cases in Grant County is significantly higher for level 1(37% verses 16%), lower for level 2 (19% verses 31%), and similar for level 3 (about a-third) when compared to the statewide estimate. In addition, the there were no level 4 cases found in Grant County, statewide level 4 is 6%. The proportion of level 5-7 cases is lower in Grant County than statewide.

Each level of vulnerability contains numerous sub levels that describe why the child entered foster care. Severe physical abuse (19%) and severe sexual abuse (11%) are the most common reasons children enter foster care in Grant County who are categorized as level 1. Both these issues are less common statewide, severe sexual abuse being 6% and severe physical abuse being 2.4%. For level 2 cases the most common reason for removal in Oregon is chronic neglect (15%); this estimate is similar for children entering care in Grant County. Desertion is an issue affecting 5% of the statewide population and about 4% in Grant County. For level 3 cases the most common reasons for removal in Oregon include parental incarceration (9%), child requiring residential treatment (7%), and chronic neglect (5%). These same reasons for removal are the most pervasive in Grant County, however parental incarceration is significantly higher in Grant County (19%).

The effects of abuse, neglect, and family separation are associated with children who enter foster care exhibiting problems. Although some children entering foster care were not identified with problems, most children exhibit one or more mental, physical or behavioral problems. Fewer children in Grant County (4%) have no problems identified when compared to the statewide estimate (15%). The child's problems, out of control/acting out (26%) and academically delayed (15%) mimic the statewide estimates in Grant County. Victim of sexual abuse (37% verses 27%), exposure to domestic violence (30% verses 22%), depression (26% verses 12%), post traumatic stress disorder (19% verses 10%), adjustment disorder (15% verses 7), and other DSM-IV diagnoses (15% verses 11%), are more pervasive in Grant County than elsewhere in Oregon. Most child problems identified in Grant County tend to have higher estimates than statewide; angry aggressive behavior (19% verses 27%), victim of sequential physical abuse (7% verses 19%), attention deficit disorder (4% verses 11%), and delinquency (7% verses 11%) are less pervasive in Grant County than statewide. The low estimate associated with "victim of sequential physical abuse" may be due to children entering care for a first time incident or report of severe physical abuse, therefore, making the abuse non-sequential.

Parents who maltreat their children often have problems or conditions that affect their parenting. Parental problems and conditions exhibited by the mother figure or father figure are known as family factors. The most common family factors statewide include poor parenting (72%), chronic neglect (57%), single parenthood (51%) and drug abuse (50%). When compared to the Grant County estimates each of these parental factors are more pervasive statewide; with the exception of drug abuse which is 70% in Grant County. Criminal involvement the most common family factor in Grant County (74%) is only 43% statewide. Other family factors more common in Grant County when compared to the statewide estimates include non-protective parent (48% verses 25%), alcohol abuse (48% verses 43%), domestic violence (37% verses 31%) and history of abuse to children (37% verses 29%). Also, divorce/marital problems (26% verses 16%), rigid parent (26% verses 6%) and sexual offender (19% verses 12%) are more common in Grant County than statewide. Unemployment and past CPS removals are each 41% in Grant County and similar to the statewide estimates. Factors less pervasive in Grant County when compared statewide include teen at first birth (37% verses 45%), parent abuse as a child (15% verses 32%) and poverty/inadequate income (7% verses 32%).

"Barriers" are problems or situations that influence the likelihood a child will be returned home. Generally, barriers are associated with the family factors and the maltreatment prompting the removal. Although both child and parental barriers are recognized, typically the parental barriers are related to a child's return home. The most common parental barriers in Oregon include drug involvement (36%), chronic neglect (19%), and alcohol abuse (16%). Drug involvement (60%), and alcohol abuse (22%) are more common in Grant County than elsewhere in Oregon; chronic neglect is less common in Grant County. Barriers much more common in Grant County than statewide include psychological indicates the parent cannot care for child (30% verses 3%), marital conflict (19% verses 3%), domestic violence (19% verses 8%), continued criminal involvement (15% verses 6%) and sexual offender (26% verses 10%).

Although parental problems and parental barriers determine if most children return home, child barriers do exist in some cases. The most common child barrier in Grant County (19%) and Oregon (12%) is out of control behavior. In Grant County more children remain in care due to unresolved sexual abuse (15%) when compared to children from other Oregon counties (7%). The estimates for children who have a mental/emotional condition (11%), or who are angry/aggressive (7%) mimic the statewide estimates in Grant County. Nearly half the children sampled in Grant County and Oregon have no barriers identified.

Services are offered to resolve the issues prompting the removal, to minimize the potential for reabuse, to reduce the effects of maltreatment and increase the likelihood of family reunification. Services provided through community agencies and SOSCF include parent training, counseling, psychological examinations, treatment, and family support. Visitation is the most common service offered in Grant County (74%) and statewide (68%). Parent training the second most common service statewide (44%) is only offered to 11% of the parents served in Grant County. Drug/alcohol evaluations are common in Grant County (33%) but slightly more common statewide (40%). Drug/alcohol outpatient and inpatient are services offered to about one-quarter of the parents with children entering foster care in Oregon. More outpatient and inpatient drug/alcohol services are offered to parents in Grant County (each about 41%). Psychological examinations are offered to 44% of families in Grant County and 34% in Oregon. Other services offered more in Grant County than statewide include individual counseling (26% verses 19%), marital counseling (19% verses 2%), and sexual offender treatment (7% verses 3%). Estimates for parents offered mental health services in similar in Grant County and Oregon (about 10%), however, family counseling is more common statewide (16%) than in Grant County (11%).

Services to children are intended to minimize the effects of maltreatment and modify behavior. The most common service being offered to children is individual counseling (32% statewide and 48% in Grant County). Most child services in Grant County tend to have estimates higher than the statewide estimates in Grant County. For example, sexual abuse victim treatment (22% verses 8%), residential treatment (19% verses 10%), dental examinations (19% verses 8%), peer group counseling (11% verses 2%), and headstart (11% verses 5%) are services more common in Grant County. Nineteen percent of the children entering foster care in Grant County are offered no services; this estimate is slightly higher statewide (28%).

The Grant 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 the children and promote healthier family functioning overall.


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