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Kids in Welfare Care Are at Particular Risk of Offending

Foster Care & Youth Offending Criminal Justice Forum Wellington, February, 2009 Dave Robertson Clinical Director, Youth Horizons. Kids in Welfare Care Are at Particular Risk of Offending.

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Kids in Welfare Care Are at Particular Risk of Offending

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  1. Foster Care & Youth OffendingCriminal Justice ForumWellington, February, 2009Dave RobertsonClinical Director, Youth Horizons

  2. Kids in Welfare Care Are at Particular Risk of Offending • In NZ about 5,000 children and young people in C&P and YJ placements, over 95% are C&P, 1/3 under age of 6 • Maxwell et al (2004): C&P histories predicted later offending (0.24; p<.001) • Australian welfare boys 13x and girls 35x more likely to enter juvenile justice system. Offending often known prior to entry into JJ system (54% by age 11-15) (Community Services Commission, 1996) • U.S study: welfare boys 5x and girls 10x relative risk of later incarceration(Jonson-Reid & Barth, 2000)

  3. Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods Behaviour & Mental Health Problems School Attainment Maltreatment • Risk Factors • for Offending Learning Problems Parent-child Relationship Marital Change Discipline Parental Mental Health Supervision Substance Abuse Unemployment Criminality

  4. Foster Care Outcomes: The Big Picture Homelessness Mental Health Offending Teenage pregnancy Unemployment/Poverty

  5. We know that foster care population are a high needs group who are at risk of poor life outcomes, including offending, despite regular foster care intervention • Regular foster care is not an effective intervention for those a risk of youth offending

  6. Foster Care-Specific Risk Factors Predictive of Later Offending

  7. Youth Problem Behavior Drives Disruptions Project KEEP After 6 behaviors, every additional behavior on the PDR increases the probability of disruption by 17 %

  8. Placement Stability Predictors • Agency involvement • Quality of care giving • Treatment Foster Care

  9. Successful Treatment FC Interventions • MTFC • MTFC-P • Project Keep

  10. Implications • Comprehensive response addressing range of needs: mental health, behavioural, social, family, developmental, educational. 2. Foster care-specific red flags (externalising behaviour problems, multiple placements) should trigger intensive case monitoring and response: 3. Services need to actively minimise factors that contribute to placement disruption and promote factors that increase placement stability 4. Develop a range of foster care responses including treatment foster care for children and YP at risk of offending

  11. Thank You

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