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Causal effects of foster care: An instrumental-variables approach

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  • Doyle, Joseph J.

Abstract

This paper describes the use of instrumental-variables (IV) to estimate causal effects of foster care on long- and short-term outcomes. This estimation strategy provides a tool to evaluate what are known as “natural experiments”: settings that mimic randomization usually associated with a controlled trial. The proposed natural experiment involves the effective randomization of investigators to child-protection cases. The results suggest that foster care placement increases like likelihood of delinquency and emergency healthcare episodes. Care must be taken when interpreting IV estimates. The results apply to cases that are part of the natural experiment—“marginal cases” where the investigators may disagree about the placement recommendation.

Suggested Citation

  • Doyle, Joseph J., 2013. "Causal effects of foster care: An instrumental-variables approach," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1143-1151.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:35:y:2013:i:7:p:1143-1151
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.03.014
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    1. Kahn, Nicholas E. & Hansen, Mary Eschelbach, 2017. "Measuring racial disparities in foster care placement: A case study of Texas," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 213-226.
    2. Summers, Alicia & Gatowski, Sophia I. & Gueller, Melissa, 2017. "Examining hearing quality in child abuse and neglect cases: The relationship between breadth of discussion and case outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 490-498.
    3. Eric Chyn & Brigham Frandsen & Emily C. Leslie, 2024. "Examiner and Judge Designs in Economics: A Practitioner's Guide," NBER Working Papers 32348, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. White, Kevin R. & Wu, Qi, 2014. "Application of the life course perspective in child welfare research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 146-154.
    5. Johannes W. Ligtenberg & Tiemen Woutersen, 2024. "Multidimensional clustering in judge designs," Papers 2406.09473, arXiv.org.
    6. Marsh, Christine A. & Browne, Jenny & Taylor, Jan & Davis, Deborah, 2017. "Characteristics and outcomes of newborns entered who entered into care (EIC) within 7days of birth in NSW, Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 261-267.
    7. Marie-Pascale Grimon & Christopher Mills, 2025. "Better Together? A Field Experiment on Human-Algorithm Interaction in Child Protection," Papers 2502.08501, arXiv.org.
    8. Glendening, Zachary S. & Shinn, Marybeth & Brown, Scott R. & Cleveland, Kyndra C. & Cunningham, Mary K. & Pergamit, Michael R., 2020. "Supportive housing for precariously housed families in the child welfare system: Who benefits most?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    9. Fred Wulczyn & Xiaomeng Zhou & Jamie McClanahan & Scott Huhr & Kristen Hislop & Forrest Moore & Emily Rhodes, 2023. "Race, Poverty, and Foster Care Placement in the United States: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Perspectives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-19, August.
    10. Anthony Bald & Joseph J. Doyle Jr. & Max Gross & Brian A. Jacob, 2022. "Economics of Foster Care," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 223-246, Spring.
    11. E. Jason Baron & Ezra G. Goldstein & Joseph Ryan, 2023. "The Push for Racial Equity in Child Welfare: Can Blind Removals Reduce Disproportionality?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 456-487, March.
    12. Anthony Bald & Eric Chyn & Justine Hastings & Margarita Machelett, 2022. "The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(7), pages 1919-1962.
    13. Kroeger, Sarah & Monahan, Tess & Perry, Brendan, 2022. "How Can Research Improve Foster Care Policy and Practice?," MPRA Paper 113969, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Nina Thorup Dalgaard & Anja Bondebjerg & Elizabeth Bengtsen & Jens Dietrichson & Anders Bach‐Mortensen, 2024. "Protocol: Interventions aimed at preventing out‐of‐home placement of children: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), June.
    15. Yoon, Miyoung & Bender, Anna E. & Park, Jiho, 2018. "The association between out-of-home placement and offending behavior among maltreated youth: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 263-281.
    16. Rapsey, C.M. & Rolston, Cassandra J., 2020. "Fostering the family, not just the child: Exploring the value of a residential family preservation programme from the perspectives of service users and staff," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    17. Malvaso, Catia G & Delfabbro, Paul H & Day, Andrew, 2017. "Child maltreatment and criminal convictions in youth: The role of gender, ethnicity and placement experiences in an Australian population," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 57-65.
    18. Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica & Holbrook, Hannah, 2023. "The influence of Decision-making ecology on placement into foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

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