Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTWe examined prevalence of parental deaths among former out‐of‐home care youths at age 18 and 25, and odds of parental loss compared with peers from similar socio‐economic childhood backgrounds. The study utilized Swedish national register data for 12 entire birth cohorts (1972–1983), 35 550 former out‐of‐home care youths and 1 138 726 cohort peers without out‐of‐home care experiences. Logistic regression models were used to compute odds ratios for parental loss through death.It was especially common among former residents of long‐term out‐of‐home care to be motherless (11%), fatherless (11–13%) or orphaned (3–4%) at age 18, compared with non‐foster care peers (1%, 3% and 0.03%). Twenty‐six per cent had lost at least one parent (4% among non‐foster care peers). At age 25, the figures had increased considerably; 36% had lost at least one parent, compared with 7% in the majority population. Adjusted odds ratios for parental loss among long‐term care youth were strikingly high, particularly for having a deceased mother. In short‐term and intermediate care, most youths with deceased parents had suffered parental loss before entering foster care. For youth from long‐term care, parental death after start of placement was most common.

We used data from several national registers for ten entire birth cohorts (n > 1 million) to examine the representation of first generation immigrant children among first time entries into out‐of‐home care (foster or residential care) at ages 7–12 and 13–17. Logistic regression models were used to adjust results for socioeconomic background factors. Immigrant children were categorised in six groups relating to birth country/continent. Compared with Swedish‐born peers, immigrant children from non‐European countries had between two‐ and three‐fold sex and birth‐year adjusted odds for being placed in care for the first time at ages 7–12. After adjustments for five socioeconomic background variables, none of these overrisks remained. Instead there was a tendency towards immigrant background being associated with reduced risks, statistically significant for immigrant children born in non‐Nordic European countries. Immigrant children had between two‐ and six‐fold age and birth‐year adjusted odds for entering care for the first time during adolescence. After adjusting the results for socioeconomic background, only immigrant children born in Sub‐Saharan Africa or in Asia outside the Middle East had significant overrisks for care entries at ages 13–17 (odds ratio = 1.5).