The long-term correlates of family foster care

The purpose of this paper is to examine long-term correlates of experiencing family foster care sometime before the age of 19. Subjects for the study were selected from participants in the 1988 National Survey of Families and Households. Three groups were compared: 101 adults experiencing family foster care, 101 adults selected at random, and 101 adults matched to those experiencing family foster care on age, race, gender, parent's educational attainment, and the presence of a stepparent. Within the areas of self-sufficiency, behavioral adjustment, family and social support, and personal well-being, 36 indicators of adult adjustment were examined. When compared with the adults in the randomly selected comparison group, adults experiencing family foster care were less adjusted on 20 of 36 indicators, particularly in the areas of education, economic well-being, marital relations, and community involvement. Adults in the foster care group were similar to the adults in the matched comparison group on almost all indicators of adjustment.