The Effects of Foster Care Placement on Young Children’s Mental Health

The Effects of Foster Care Placement on
Young Children’s Mental Health

Beth Troutman, Ph.D., Susan Ryan, M.A., and Michelle Cardi, M.A.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

Introduction
Young children are more likely than older children to be placed in foster care and
to spend a larger proportion of their life in the foster care system (Goerge &
Wulczyn, 1998). In a recent review of foster care in several states, the incidence
of placement in foster care for children under age 5 was double that of children
aged 5–17 (4 per 1,000 vs. 2 per 1,000) (Goerge & Wulczyn, 1998). Young
children are in foster care longer than older children and infants are in foster care
significantly longer than other age groups (Goerge & Wulczyn, 1998). In the 5
states studied, the median length of time infants spent in foster care ranged from
11 to 42 months (Goerge & Wulczyn, 1998). This paper explores the potential
impact of foster care placement on young children’s attachment relationships and
mental health.

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