Publication year: 2011
Source: Children and Youth Services Review, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 12 March 2011
Linda J., Lee
The absence of parents for foster children in residential treatment undermines the known positive effects of parental visits during treatment on children’s permanency. To date, little attention has been given to the scope and role of visitation by non-parental adults. This study utilized clinical data from a residential treatment center for children to examine the patterns of adult visitation during treatment and their effects on children’s permanency at and 6months following discharge. Different types of relationships including parents, extended family and non-family adults, and various measures of visitation, such as frequency and regularity of visits, were included in descriptive and…
Research highlights: ►Children had approximately four visits per month by adults during treatment. ►Parents and non-family visitors did not differ with regards to visit regularity. ►Having a parent visitor was associated with greater odds of achieving permanency. ►Additional non-family visits increased the odds of achieving permanency.