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4. Current Caregiver Characteristics
This chapter presents information that describes the current caregivers (foster parents, kinship foster parents, or the group caregiver respondent) for children in the NSCAW One Year in Foster Care cohort. Characteristics used to portray these caregivers include age, race and ethnicity, marital status, education, physical and mental health status, employment status, and income. Many of these characteristics are compared for different placement types. Finally, household characteristics are described.
4.1 Current Caregiver Demographics
What are the ages of current caregivers?
While current caregivers of OYFC children are not substantially different from parents in general, it is notable that 30% of caregivers are aged 50 or over. Most strikingly, a total of 11% are aged 60 or over (Figure 4-1). The 2000 U.S. Census and 1999 National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) data were used to compare the ages of OYFC caregivers to other national samples (Table 4-1). The Census defines family as “a householder and one or more other people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Consequently, not all Census families include children, which explains why 30% of heads of all households are over 54 by their definition.
The NSAF is a nationally representative survey of the characteristics of households with at least one member under age 65, including children, adults, and their families. The entire sample of NSAF families is considerably younger than the OYFC caregivers (only 2% of parents in all households were older than 54), although they are somewhat less different than households caring for children whose mother does not live in the home. Also, excluding group care, a relatively small proportion (14%) of caregivers of OYFC children are younger than 35, in contrast with the NSAF population in which the proportion younger than age 35 is 41%.
How does the age of the current caregiver vary by types of care?
The age of the current caregiver varies significantly based on out-of-home placement type (X2 = 29.51, p <.01), as shown in Figure 4-2. Among kin caregivers and non-kin foster caregivers, the distribution by age differs most noticeably at the ends of the age distribution. That is, there are four times as many non-kin foster caregivers from 18 to 29 years old as kin caregivers, whereas there are almost twice as many kin caregivers as non-kin foster caregivers among people aged 60 and over.
There is also a greater proportion of non-kin foster caregivers aged 50 to 59 than kin caregivers (25% versus 21%). The ages of primary caregivers in group homes are the converse of those providing foster care. More than three-quarters of the caregivers (76%) are under age 40.
[D] |
| Characteristics | OYFC (%, 95% CI) |
NSAF (%) | Census^ (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster parents |
Kinship foster parents |
Group care |
All households |
Child’s
mother lives elsewhere |
All families | |
| < 35 yrs | 14 | 14 (10, 21) |
61 (45, 75) |
41 | 25 | 22 |
| 35 - 44 yrs | 34 (28, 40) |
32 (24, 42) |
16 (7, 32) |
43 | 38 | 26 |
| 45 - 54 yrs | 29 (34, 35) |
27 (20, 26) |
15 (7, 29) |
14 | 24 | 22 |
| > 54 yrs | 23 (19, 28) |
26 (19, 34) |
8 (2, 24) |
2 | 13 | 30 |
| ^The Census defines family as “a householder and one or more other people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001); consequently, not all Census families include children. |
[D] |
Group home caregivers are much younger than other types of caregivers. The breakdown represents the converse of those providing kinship and non-kinship foster care in that more than two-thirds (61%) of the group home caregivers are under 35; 16% are aged 35 to 44, 15% are 45 to 54, and 8% are 54 or older.
Of what race and ethnicity are current caregivers?
Most caregivers are black (42%) or white (36%). Another 15% of current caregivers are Hispanic; the remaining 7% are other (Figure 4-3).
[D] |
There are not statistically significant differences between the race of kin and non-kin foster caregivers (Figure 4-4).
[D] |
To what extent does the race of the child match the race of the current caregiver?
The statistical summary in Table 4-2 indicates that race of the caregiver generally matches that of the child (X(2)=55.94, p<0.0001). (Children in group care were excluded from these analyses.) Among all black caregivers, 88% cared for a black child, 2% cared for a white child, 6% cared for a Hispanic child and 3% cared for a child of another race (“other”). The rows sum to approximately 100%. From this perspective, it is clear that most black, white, and Hispanic caregivers are caring for a child of the same race. Caregivers of “other” race/ethnicities are as likely to care for a white as an “other” race child, but less likely to care for a black or Hispanic child.
| Race of current caregiver |
Race of child Race of child % (95% CI) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | White | Hispanic | Other | |
| Black | 88 (78, 94) |
2 (1, 9) |
6 (2, 15) |
3 (1, 10) |
| White | 15 (9, 24) |
68 (60, 76) |
13 (9, 18) |
4 (2, 8) |
| Hispanic | 3 (1, 7) |
31 (18, 48) |
57 (38, 75) |
10 (4, 20) |
| Other | 21 (7, 47) |
35 (16, 61) |
16 (5, 43) |
28 (8, 64) |
| ^ Bold numbers indicate that the caregiver is the same race as the child; confidence intervals are in parentheses. Rows may not total 100 due to rounding. |
We also examined the converse—the proportion of children of each race/ethnic group who live with a caregiver of the same ethnicity. From this perspective (represented in Table 4-3), 83% of black children are living with a black caregiver, 78% of white children are living with a white caregiver, 47% of Hispanic children are living with a Hispanic caregiver and 30% of children of some other race are living with caregivers of some other race. (Again, these percentages exclude children in group care.)
| Race of child | Race of current caregiver % (95% CI) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | White | Hispanic | Other | |
| Black | 83 (71, 91) |
13 (7, 24) |
1 (0.3, 2) |
3 (1, 8) |
| White | 3 (0.9, 9) |
78 (65, 88) |
12 (4, 30) |
7 (3, 14) |
| Hispanic | 15 (7, 29) |
31 (19, 47) |
47 (28, 67) |
7 (2, 21) |
| Other | 24 (8, 54) |
26 (10, 51) |
21 (7, 46) |
30 (13, 55) |
| ^ Bold numbers indicate that the child is the same race as the caregiver; confidence intervals are in parentheses. Rows may not total 100 due to rounding. |
What is the marital status of current caregivers?
Caregivers are almost as likely to be single as married. Just over half (53%) are married, with one-fifth (20%) having never married, and 13% divorced. Equal percentages of caregivers are separated and widowed, 6% each (Figure 4-5).
Figure 4-5. Current Caregiver by Marital Status
[D] |
In the breakdown by kin and non-kin foster homes in Figure 4-6, the marital status of the caregivers in kinship care homes mirrors that of all caregivers, with about half (53%) married, one-fifth (19%) having never married, and 28% separated, divorced, or widowed. In non-kin foster homes, there is a tendency for more caregivers to be married (70%), with fewer having never been married (11%), or separated, divorced, or widowed (20%). The difference in marital status between kin and non-kin foster caregivers is not significant.
|
[D] |
Looking at the combination of race, marital status, and placement type for caregivers in non-kin foster homes and kinship care settings, the largest proportion of caregivers are white, married, and caring for children in non-kin foster homes (23% of all caregivers). The largest proportion of caregivers in kinship care settings is black and single (10% of all caregivers).
Does the education level of current caregivers vary by kinship and non-kinship foster care?
The education of the caregivers is typically high school or less (56%). An additional 24% of caregivers have earned an associate’s degree or certificate from a vocational/technical school. Another 14% have received a bachelor’s degree or higher. A total of 5% report “other” which includes people who reported their degree as either a Registered Nurse degree or other (Figure 4-7).
While the differences in educational attainment between kin and non-kin foster caregivers are not statistically significant, it is noticeable in Figure 4-8 that roughly equal proportions have high school or less, while non-kin caregivers are almost twice as likely to have at least a bachelor’s degree (12% versus 7%).
[D] |
[D] |
Using the NSAF data to make national comparisons, the education level of caregivers was examined and is summarized in Table 4-4. Group home caregivers are noticeably different from other caregivers and households, most frequently having more than a high school degree. Kinship caregivers and NSAF households where the child’s mother lives elsewhere tend to be most similar, which is not surprising considering that these NSAF households, by definition, might also be classified as a kinship care situation.
| Characteristics | OYFC (%, 95% CI) | NSAF (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Parents | Kinship Foster Parents | Group Care | All Households | Child’s Mother Lives Elsewhere | |
| Less than high school | 9 (6, 15) |
18 (13, 24) |
0 | 13 | 17 |
| High school | 44 (38, 50) |
48 (42, 55) |
10 (3, 26) |
44 | 48 |
| High school plus | 46 (40, 52) |
34 (27, 41) |
90 (74, 97) |
43 | 35 |
Caregivers were asked to describe their physical and mental health; summary scores from the Short Form-12 are displayed in Figure 4-9. These indicate that the self-rated mental and physical status is roughly equal for kin and non-kin caregivers, with mean scores for both around the norm of 50.
[D] |
Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship of caregiver’s age and caregiver type (kin versus non-kin) to physical and mental health. The results are summarized in Table 4-5. Only caregiver age significantly predicts differences between groups. Neither the interaction of caregiver age and type nor the main effect of caregiver type is significant.
| Caregiver age Mean (SE) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 yrs | 30-39 yrs | 40-49 yrs | 50-59yrs | 60+ yrs | Total | |
| Mental health | ||||||
| Kin | 52.23 (2.41) |
54.27 (.88) |
52.96 (1.43) |
55.21 (2.10) |
52.77 (3.65) |
53.70 (.66) |
| Non-kin | 55.09 (1.13) |
54.55 (.67) |
54.96 (.37) |
55.89 (.88) |
58.17 (.90) |
55.44 (.32) |
| TOTAL | 54.69 (1.06) |
54.45 (.51) |
54.28 (.67) |
55.67 (.84) |
55.51 (1.88) |
54.83 (.35) |
| Physical health | ||||||
| Kin | 50.97 (3.02) |
53.04 (1.11) |
49.03 (1.39) |
43.03 (2.76) |
42.90 (3.26) |
47.54 (.75) |
| Non-kin | 52.58 (1.46) |
51.31 (1.68) |
51.41 (1.08) |
49.53 (1.50) |
48.18 (2.19) |
50.61 (.71) |
| TOTAL | 52.36 (1.31) |
51.91 (1.19) |
50.60 (.99) |
47.43 (1.56) |
45.58 (1.79) |
49.53 (.56) |
| ^ Mean = 50; standard deviation = 10. |
Does physical and mental health status vary by kinship and non-kinship foster caregivers?
For mental health, there is a significant main effect from caregiver age (F = 4.35, p<.01) —caregivers aged 60 and older reported better mental health than younger caregivers. For physical health, there is a significant main effect from caregiver age as well (F = 4.32, p<.01), with younger caregivers reporting better physical health.
What is the employment status of current caregivers?
As shown in Figure 4-10, 41% of current caregivers work full-time and 36% do not work. About one in six works part-time. In all, more than half of caregivers work either full or part time.
[D] |
We also looked at employment status by type of placement; the results are contained in Figure 4-11. In the breakdown by kin and non-kin foster homes, caregivers’ employment status in both types of homes mirrors that of all caregivers as described above, with no significant differences between the two placement types.
[D] |
What is the income level of current caregivers?
The survey data indicate that, while the income levels of kin and non-kin foster homes are not significantly different, there tend to be more non-kinship caregivers with higher incomes. Conversely, more kinship caregivers tend to have lower incomes: 41% had incomes under $25,000, compared with 21% of non-kin families. We also compared OYFC caregiver data with Census data (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001), and the results appear in Table 4-6. On a national level, the most noticeable difference is that kin and non-kin foster homes less frequently earn $50,000 or more annually.
| Family Income Categories | Census^ % |
Kinship Foster Care % (95% CI) | Non-kinship Foster Care % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 6 | 9 (4, 17) |
3 (1, 6) |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 13 (7, 21) |
5 (2, 10) |
|
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 11 | 19 (10, 31) |
13 (9, 18) |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 12 | 13 (6, 25) |
15 (10, 23) |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 17 | 22 (15, 29) |
27 (19, 35) |
| $50,000 or more | 50 | 26 (15, 40) |
38 (29, 49) |
| ^Census data from Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Summary Tables (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). |
What are the characteristics of group home caregivers?
The racial and educational characteristics of group home caregivers are vastly different from kinship and non-kinship caregivers. Almost half (49%) of group home caregivers are white, 33% are black, 10% are Hispanic, and the remaining 8% are of other ethnicities. Three-quarters are women. The largest percentage (56%) had never been married, 31% were married, 4% were widowed, and 9% were divorced. Almost two-thirds (63%) had a bachelor’s degree or higher, 20% had an associate’s degree or vocational/technical certificate/diploma, 10% had a high school diploma or GED, and 7% had some other type of degree. A total of 13% had a second job, in addition to their position providing group care.
How much experience do foster parents have?
One-third of caregivers had fewer than three years experience as a foster parent, as indicated in Figure 4-12. Looking at experience by type of placement (Figure 4-13), kin caregivers have had significantly less experience than non-kin foster caregivers ( ² = 66.84, p <.001). More than half of kin caregivers had a year or less experience as a foster parent, whereas more than one-third of non-kin foster caregivers had six or more years’ experience.
[D] |
[D] |
4.2 Household Characteristics
What is the household composition of kinship care homes and non-kin foster homes?
The child’s experience in out-of-home care is undoubtedly influenced by the number of adults and children in the home, as well as the relationship of the children in the household. The OYFC children’s households are summarized in Table 4-7. Looking at kinship care homes and non-kin foster homes together, the average number of household members is 5.2 (max=11). This includes an average of 2.1 adults (max=6) and 3.1 children (max=9). There is an average of 0.6 full, half, step, or adoptive siblings (in relation to the study child) in these homes (max=8), 1.1 foster siblings (i.e., unrelated to the study child) (max=8), and 0.4 children of other relations to the study child (max=7).
| Number | Mean (SE)^ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Kinship care homes |
Non-kin foster homes |
|
| Household members | 5.2 (0.19) |
4.5 (0.24) |
5.6 (0.24) |
| Adults | 2.1 (0.06) |
2.1 (0.14) |
2.1 (0.07) |
| Children (including study child) | 3.1 (0.17) |
2.4 (0.17) |
3.4 (0.20) |
| Full/half/step/adoptive siblings | 0.6 (0.05) |
0.7 (0.10) |
0.5 (0.05) |
| Foster siblings (i.e., unrelated to study child) | 1.1 (0.14) |
0.02 (0.02) |
1.7 (0.20) |
| Children of other relation to study child | 0.4 (0.06) |
0.7 (0.11) |
0.3 (0.07) |
| ^ Standard errors for household members do not include the study child. |
Taking kinship care homes separately, the average number of household members is 4.5 (max=11). This includes an average of 2.1 adults (max=5) and 2.4 children (max=8). In more than half (52%) of the kinship care homes, the child’s grandmother or great grandmother is the current caregiver. The child’s aunt is the next most frequently cited, identified as the current caregiver for one-third (33%) of the children in a kinship care home. The other children living in the kinship care homes are most likely to be the child’s full, half, step, or adoptive siblings (mean=0.7, max=5) or children of another relation to the study child (mean=0.7, max=6), rather than foster siblings (mean=0.02, max=3).
Non-kin foster homes have, on average, about one more household member than do kinship care homes (mean=5.6, max=10), with the difference being the greater number of children. Non-kin foster homes include an average of 2.1 adults (max=6) and 3.4 children (max=9). As would be expected, the other children living in non-kin foster homes are most likely to be foster siblings (mean=1.7, max=8). Full, half, step, or adoptive siblings are next, with a mean of 0.5 per non-kin foster home (max=8). And finally, on average about one in three children in these households is also living with a child of another relation (max=7), which is significantly less likely than it is in kinship foster homes.
As shown in Figure 4-14, there is a significant difference in the number of children in the household between kin and non-kin foster caregivers (X2 = 13.75, p < .01). Kin caregivers are more likely to have only one or two children (including biological as well as foster children) in the household, whereas non-kin caregivers are much more likely to have five or more children in the household. One-third of non-kin caregivers have five or more children in their household.
[D] |
Because of the large proportion of non-kinship foster homes with five or more children, we completed additional analyses to better understand these situations. The characteristics that are significantly different between non-kinship foster homes with 1 to 4 versus 5 or more children include the following:
-
caregiver’s marital status (90% of the larger foster homes have married couples, compared with 65% of those with fewer than five children) (p < .05),
-
number of biological children (larger homes have an average of 3.0 biological children, and smaller homes have an average of 1.9) (p < .01),
-
number of full, half, step, and/or adoptive siblings (larger homes have an average of 1.0 full, half, step, and/or adoptive siblings and smaller homes have an average of 0.3) (p < .01), and
-
number of foster siblings (larger homes have an average of 3.7 foster siblings, and smaller homes have an average of 0.7) (p < .001).
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