Adoption and guardianship are meant to provide permanency to foster children when reunification is not a viable option. Unfortunately, sometimes adoption and guardianship placements dissolve resulting in children returning to care. Currently, there is limited research on the prevalence and predictors of adoption and guardianship dissolutions. This study investigated rates of guardianship and adoption dissolution using a complete entry cohort from a large state foster care system and the associations between child characteristics and risk factors with dissolution. Drawing on a complete entry cohort of foster children in Texas that exited to either adoption or guardianship placements, results demonstrated that over 2% of adoptive placements and 7% of guardianship placements were dissolved. Compared with White and Hispanic children, Black children had a higher risk of guardianship, but not adoption, dissolution. Older age was associated with a higher risk of adoption dissolution, and females had a higher risk of guardianship dissolution than males. Behavior problems, cognitive disability status, and mental health issues were all associated with a higher risk of dissolution. These findings have important implications for caseworkers and policymakers on permanency for children in adoptive or guardianship placements.

中文翻译：

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收养和监护权解除的预测因素：儿童在寄养中的种族、年龄和性别的作用。


收养和监护旨在在团聚不可行的情况下为寄养儿童提供永久性。不幸的是，有时收养和监护安置会解除，导致儿童返回照料。目前，关于收养和监护权解除的发生率和预测因素的研究有限。本研究利用大型州寄养系统的完整进入队列，调查了监护权和收养解散率，以及儿童特征和解散风险因素之间的关联。根据德克萨斯州退出收养或监护安置的完整寄养儿童队列，结果表明，超过 2% 的收养安置和 7% 的监护安置被解散。与白人和西班牙裔儿童相比，黑人儿童有更高的监护风险，但没有收养、解散风险。年龄较大与收养解除的风险较高相关，女性比男性解除监护权的风险更高。行为问题、认知障碍状态和心理健康问题都与较高的解散风险相关。这些发现对于个案工作者和政策制定者对于收养或监护安置中儿童的永久性具有重要意义。