Correlates of therapy referral in foster children.

In order to identify the correlates of the behavioral maladjustment of children in foster care, a group of children in foster care who had been referred for therapy was compared to a group of children who had never been in therapy during their foster care placement on several relevant variables. Referred and nonreferred children differed on several important behavioral indicators: number of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, behavioral competence, and mental age. Results of this comparison suggest that the age of the child when first placed in care, the number of different placements the child experiences during care, and the type of foster care placement (kinship vs. nonkinship) may all be related to the need for clinical services in this population. Theoretical and practical implications of these relationships are explored.