Outcomes of African American adolescents in kinship and family foster care: An exploration of racial identity development

This study contributes to the limited knowledge of kinship foster care and placement with same-race caregivers. The purposes were: (1) to explore the development of racial identity in foster care; (2) to identify the type of placement that results in the best behavioral and psychological outcomes for African American children in care; (3) to test the relationship between racial identity development and behavioral and psychological outcomes; and (4) to explore the role of the relationship between the foster caregiver and child in these outcomes. The sample consisted of 30 African American adolescents age 12--18 in foster care in five New York State counties. Participants resided in family foster care with an other-race, same-race, or kinship caregiver. For each adolescent, information was obtained from the case record and provided by the caseworker on a demographic survey. Participants completed three standardized instruments: the Youth Self-Report Measure (YSR), the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), and the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations (AIR ) Mother subscale. Data was collected between August 2004 and August 2005. The results of the analysis suggest that when African American children are placed with the same race caregiver, they are provided opportunity to adequately explore and achieve their racial identity. The results further indicate that when children spend a long time in foster care, the process of racial identity exploration which is critical to identity resolution is impeded. Differences were not found between kinship and nonrelative foster care on the YSR measures of behavioral and psychological outcomes. Racial identity did not influence the YSR outcomes regardless of the type of placement or race of caregiver. The relationship with the foster mother was found to influence only internalizing behaviors. Significant predictors of positive relationships were less time spent in foster care; gender, with males reporting more positive relationships; and less contact with the biological parent. Implications for research and practice are discussed.