Lincoln 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.

Lincoln Summary

The Child Welfare Partnership at Portland State University has conducted a series of research studies for the State Office for Services to Children and Families. The studies enable researchers to profile the families with children entering long term foster care. Long term foster care is considered the population of children who remain in foster care for at least 14 days or longer in the year after their placement in foster care. This study, known as the third cohort study, considers cases with children entering foster care between July, 1992 and December, 1995. Statewide 2,421 cases were reviewed including 58 from Lincoln County. The cases were randomly selected and reviewed by trained researchers. The profiles generated from this research include the reasons for removal, level of vulnerability, child's problems, family factors, barriers to return the child home, and services offered.

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 all removals statewide and 86% of removals in Lincoln County. Neglect accounts for one-quarter of the removals statewide and slightly more than one-quarter in Lincoln County. Parental absence includes abandonment, incarceration, and situations where parents leave a child with a babysitter well beyond the prescribed time. Parental absence is slightly more common in Lincoln County (22%) than elsewhere in Oregon (17%). Threat of harm are situations where a child is at risk of abuse or neglect (e.g. perpetrator resides in the home) although maltreatment has not yet occurred. Threat of harm is more common in Lincoln County (20%) than elsewhere in Oregon (13%). Physical abuse and treatment issues of the child are slightly less common in Lincoln County (8%) than statewide (11%). Sexual abuse is a common type of child maltreatment, however sexual abuse is not a common reason children enter foster care. If the perpetrator leaves the home and the child can be protected from the perpetrator, the child does not enter foster care. Only 6% of the children entering foster care in Oregon enter for sexual abuse; sexual abuse accounts for 2% of the children entering foster care in Lincoln County.

Children entering foster care have been categorized into three groups - children ages 0-5 years, children ages 6-12, and children ages 13-17 years. Statewide, of the children entering foster care, 48% are ages 0-5, 29% are ages 6-12 and 23% are ages 13-17 years. Compared to the statewide profile 66% of the children are ages 0-5, 22% are ages 6-12, and about 12% are ages 13-17%.

Level of vulnerability is a seven level system that profiles the population of children entering foster care in Oregon. The severity of abuse and the age of the child are the primary considerations for categorizing cases into different vulnerability levels. Younger and more severely maltreated children are identified as the most vulnerable (levels 1-3); 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 90% were identified as levels 1-3 in Lincoln County. When comparing the Lincoln County estimates to the state estimates, Lincoln County serves a lower percentage of level 1, a slightly higher percentage of level 2, and a similar percentage of level 3. There were no level 5, 6 or 7 cases found in Lincoln County, and level 4 (10%) is slightly higher in prevalence when compared to the state estimate (6%).

Within each level of vulnerability there are sublevels. Each mutually exclusive sublevel describes the type and severity of maltreatment prompting the placement into foster care. In level 1, the most common reason for removal in Oregon (6%) and Lincoln County (8%) is severe sexual abuse. For cases identified as level 2, chronic neglect to young children is common statewide (15%) and in Lincoln County (16%). Parental mental disability (11% verses 4%) and moderate physical abuse (10% verses 3%) are more prevalent in Lincoln County than elsewhere in Oregon. For level 3 cases the common reasons for removal in Oregon include parental incarceration (9%), child needs residential treatment (7%), and chronic neglect to children ages 6-13 years (5%). Parental incarceration is more common in Lincoln County (14%), residential treatment is less common (2%) and chronic neglect to children ages 6-13 year is similar to the state estimate. Lastly, desertion to older children is more common in Lincoln County (6%) than statewide (1%).

The effects of abuse, neglect, and family separation often have a negative effect on the child. Only 15% of the children statewide and 10% of the children entering care in Lincoln County are not recognized with mental, physical or behavioral problems. The most common child problems in Lincoln County include exposure to domestic violence (44%), angry/aggressive behavior (24%), out of control/acting out (22%) and victim of sexual abuse (16%). Statewide, victim of sexual abuse (27%), out of control/acting out (26%) is slightly more common, and exposure to domestic violence is less common (22%). Victim of sequential physical abuse and academic delay are both child problems more common elsewhere in Oregon. Child problems that are more prevalent in Lincoln County when compared to the state estimates include developmentally delayed, drug exposed infant, low birth weight babies and children with encopresis/enuresis.

Families served by SOSCF often have multiple problems that increase the risk of maltreatment and affect their functioning. These problems and conditions are known as family factors. The most prevalent factor of caretakers with children entering foster care in Lincoln County (75%) and in Oregon (72%) is poor parenting. This implies the caretakers do not understand the child's needs and their lack of knowledge places the child at risk. Chronic neglect is another common factor that is similar in prevalence in Lincoln County (59%) and the state (57%). Single parenthood and drug abuse are common with half the statewide population and just slightly more than half in Lincoln County. The second most common parental factor in Lincoln County is alcohol involvement (63%). Alcohol involvement is an issue affecting 43% of the families statewide. Domestic violence, criminal involvement, parent abused as a child and unemployment are issues affecting nearly half of the families served in Lincoln County, and each are more prevalent than elsewhere in Oregon. Estimates in Oregon and Lincoln County are similar for parents who were teenagers at first birth, and emotionally unstable is a parental factor more common in Lincoln County (45%) than elsewhere in Oregon (28%). Statewide there are more parents who have had a past CPS removal (39%) than in Lincoln County (33%), and the estimate for poverty/inadequate income is similar for Lincoln County and Oregon (about 1/3). Other factors that are more pervasive in Lincoln County include recent pregnancy, overwhelming childcare, inadequate housing and mental illness.

Barriers are problems or situations that affect the likelihood of a child returning home. Often, barriers are related to risk factors and the maltreatment prompting the foster care placement. Although both child and parental barriers exist, resolution of parental barriers usually determines if a child returns home. The most common parental barriers in Oregon include drug involvement (36%), chronic neglect (19%), and alcohol abuse (16%). These same three barriers are common in Lincoln County; drug involvement is similar, chronic neglect is less common (12%) and alcohol abuse is more common (28%) when compared to the state estimates. Angry/aggressive behavior (20% verses 12%), mental condition (18% verses 10%) and domestic violence (14% verses 8%) are barriers more common in Lincoln County than elsewhere in Oregon.

Although parental problems and parental barriers determine is most children return home, children may also present barriers to their return home. Most children entering foster care in Lincoln County (77%) have no barriers, and nearly half the children statewide have no barriers. Out of control behavior, mental emotional condition, unresolved sexual abuse victimization and angry/aggressive are the most common child barriers statewide, and are more pervasive than the Lincoln County estimates.

SOSCF families are offered services to resolve the issues prompting placement, to minimize the potential for reabuse, to reduce the effects of maltreatment on the child, and to increase the likelihood of family reunification. There are many different types of services including parent training, treatment, counseling and family support. Some of these services are provided through community agencies and some are provided directly by SOSCF. Visitation is the most common service statewide (68%) and in Lincoln County (77%). The second most common service offered to parents with children entering foster care in Lincoln County, is psychological examinations (47%), which is somewhat higher than the state estimate (34%). More than 40% of the parents served statewide and in Lincoln County are offered parent training, and drug/alcohol evaluations are offered to just under 40% of the parents served. Alcoholics anonymous/narcotics anonymous (AA/NA) and drug/alcohol outpatient treatment are services offered to one-third of the parents in Lincoln County, statewide these services are less common. Other common services include drug/alcohol inpatient treatment, anger management, and individual counseling; of the three services individual counseling is offered more elsewhere in Oregon.

Services to children are intended to minimize the effects of maltreatment and modify behavior. The most common service offered to children in Oregon is individual counseling (32%), this service is only 14% in Lincoln County. Statewide the second most offered child service is psychological examinations (15%) and is similar to the Lincoln County estimate. Not surprisingly, sexual abuse victim treatment is more common in Lincoln County (14%) than elsewhere in Oregon (8%). And residential treatment is slightly more common in other Oregon counties (10%) when compared to Lincoln County (8%). Nearly 30% of the children served in Lincoln County and Oregon are offered no services.

The Lincoln County SOSCF branch office and their community partners work to respond to families at risk of child maltreatment, protect vulnerable children, and prevent reabuse. By serving abusive and neglectful families, the agency endeavors to preserve the emotional and physical well being of the children and families and promote healthier family functioning.


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