For this nationally representative sample, children are randomly selected from 92 Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) in 98 counties and 36 states nationwide. For most areas of the country, the best definition of a PSU is the county since it corresponds to a clearly defined political entity and geographic area of manageable size. The PSU sampling frame was stratified into nine major strata; eight strata providing state-level estimates and one serving as the remainder stratum (28 states).

Foster Care: Information regarding child placement and placement changes during time in the child welfare system, as well as caseworkers’ characteristics and attitudes is obtained.

Social/Support Services: Information on child protection agencies, other services for children and families in the sample (including source and amount of services), and reasons some services were not received is obtained.

Caseworker post-baseline interview topic areas include:
History before and since the case report, caseworker involvement with the child and family, services for children and families in the sample (services received, including source and amount; reasons some services were not received; child placement and adoption possibilities; child placement changes during time in the child welfare system; and family compliance and progress), and results and recommendations of court hearings.

• Most children (60%) in the OYFC population were placed in out-of-home care with neglect as the most serious type of maltreatment. About half of these were neglected through failure to provide; the other half, through failure to supervise. The most serious types of abuse for the rest were identified as follows:
  • 10%, physical abuse;
  • 8%, sexual abuse;
  • 14%, emotional, moral/legal, or educational abuse, or abandonment; and
  • 8% for reasons other than abuse or neglect (e.g., for mental health services or domestic violence).
  • Many OYFC children have experienced more than one type of abuse.
• Forty-four percent of OYFC children are in non-kin foster homes, and about one-quarter (24%) are in kinship foster homes.
• Caregivers were asked about children's health problems that "lasted or reoccurred." Over one-quarter of the OYFC children have some type of recurring physical or mental health problem.
• Children's functioning was assessed with multiple standardized developmental measures. Children in out-of-home care tend to fall marginally below the norm compared with the general population on nearly every measure, including measures of cognitive capacities, language development, behavioral problems, and academic achievement. Although these lower scores are reason for concern, such scores are somewhat more common among poor children, which are the group of children most involved with child welfare services.
• Current caregivers tend to be middle-aged or older; almost two-thirds (62%) are aged 40 or older. Caregivers in kin-care settings are more likely to be aged 60 or older than are caregivers in non-kin foster homes or group homes, and caregivers in group homes are much more likely to be under age 40 than caregivers in foster homes or kin-care settings.
• Caregivers are almost as likely to be single as married (45% vs. 53%).
• The education of the current caregivers typically is high school or less (56%).
• The average number of household members in kin-care and nonkin foster homes together is 5.2.
• On average OYFC children report feeling positive about their caregivers, reporting a high sense of relatedness, though children in group care report this relatedness to a lesser degree than those in kinship care.
• Children aged 6 and older were asked about their experiences in out-of-home care, including how they viewed their current living situation, their thoughts about where they would live in the future, and their views of their biological parents. In general, a positive picture of foster care arrangements emerged as most children like the people they are living with (90%) and say they feel like a part of the family (92%).
• The children in group home placements are generally less satisfied with their placement than the children in kinship or nonkinship foster care—more of these children do not like the people they live with and do not want their current arrangement as a permanent home.
• Child welfare workers were asked to identify some risk factors that the family might have experienced prior to the placement. About 60% of the families had between 3 and 5 of the 7 risk factors examined, with a mean of 3.4. The lack of a second supportive caregiver was the most common risk factor present at the time of placement.