Comparison of Voluntary and Court-Ordered Foster Care: Decisions, Services, and Parental Choice. Volume 1

摘要

This study compared child welfare practice associated with two modes of entry into foster care - entry under voluntary placement agreements and entry under court order. Four States were studied. Although State policies varied with regard to the circumstances and constraints under which voluntary placement agreements can be used, in general, children placed under voluntary placement agreements had, on the average, a shorter duration of placement than children placed under court order. In addition, depending on the State, children placed under voluntary placement agreements were as likely as, or more likely than children placed under court order to receive preplacement preventive and reunification services. Although the two types of placement are distinctive with regard to the legal authority under which they are made, they are not clearly different in the degree to which they reflect parental choice. In a substantial proportion of the 'voluntary' placements studied, parents were strongly influenced by the caseworkers to place their child in foster care while many 'court-ordered' placements were initiated by family members who were strongly in favor of the placement. However, the study found that with adequate procedural safeguards, placement under voluntary placement agreements can be effectively used as a service alternative to court-ordered placement.