American Indian/Alaska Native children in child welfare: Changes in behavioral problems and out-of-home placement instability

BACKGROUND: Children in child welfare experience high rates of behavioral problems, which are associated with placement instability. American Indian/Alaska Native children are particularly vulnerable to behavioral problems, yet studies have not explored the relationship between behavioral problems and placement instability for American Indian/Alaska Native children. OBJECTIVE: This study explored how changes in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems relate to placement instability for American Indian/Alaska Native children following child welfare involvement. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample included 300 American Indian/Alaska Native and 1757 White children from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II). METHOD: A latent growth curve analysis was used to estimate the trajectories of children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors and their change with out-of-home placements. A group comparison procedure was used to determine whether the association between internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and out-of-home placements differed for American Indian/Alaska Native children. RESULTS: Children with greater behavior problems at baseline displayed greater decreases in behavioral problems at follow-up. Children with greater behavior problems also experienced greater out-of-home placements. American Indian/Alaska Native children experienced greater total out-of-home placements than their White peers. CONCLUSIONS: American Indian/Alaska Native children experienced greater out-of-home placements at follow-up compared to White peers at the similar levels of behavioral problems.