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The Effects Of Organizational Form In The Mixed Market For Foster Care

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  • Jeremy Thornton
  • Lisa Cave

Abstract

ABSTRACT**: This paper uses proprietary quality of care data to examine the consequences of organizational form in privatized US foster care services. The contract failure hypothesis generically proposes that nonprofits should provide higher quality services, relative to for‐profits, when output is costly to observe. Advocates argue that the nonprofits offer important consumer protections when public services are contracted to private agencies. Contrary to expectations, we find that nonprofit firms do not offer higher quality services. We explore the possibility that monitoring efforts by state regulators or competition among foster care agencies effectively mitigate the influence of organizational form in this particular mixed market.

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  • Jeremy Thornton & Lisa Cave, 2010. "The Effects Of Organizational Form In The Mixed Market For Foster Care," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 81(2), pages 211-245, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:annpce:v:81:y:2010:i:2:p:211-245
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8292.2010.00410.x
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    1. Huggins-Hoyt, Kimberly Y. & Briggs, Harold E. & Mowbray, Orion & Allen, Junior Lloyd, 2019. "Privatization, racial disproportionality and disparity in child welfare: Outcomes for foster children of color," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 125-131.

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