Frequent Moves Impact Majority of Long-Term Foster Children, System Aims for Reunification

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A recent social media post by author Rob Henderson has shed light on the complex reasons behind the frequent relocation of children within the foster care system. Henderson highlighted that children are often moved to prevent strong attachments with foster families, particularly when biological parents are working towards reunification. This practice, he noted, is a systemic approach to facilitate potential returns to birth families.

Children typically enter foster care due to challenging circumstances, including parental drug addiction, mental illness, or incarceration. As explained by Henderson, > "for many foster kids—probably most—the reason they end up in the system in the first place is because one of their parents was dealing with problems like drug addiction, mental illness, or getting arrested."

The foster care system prioritizes reunification with biological families. If a parent demonstrates improvement, such as sobriety or stable employment, the child may be moved back. However, the tweet suggests a controversial aspect of this policy: > "if the kid stays with the same foster family for too long, they can form strong attachments. Then, if their biological parent reappears... the child might resist... So the system’s way of 'solving' this is to move the child every few months so they never form an attachment."

This strategy, while intended to ease transitions back to biological parents, often leads to significant instability for children. Research indicates that frequent moves can result from various factors, including placement mismatches, changes in foster family circumstances, and system limitations like a shortage of available homes. For instance, 59% of children in foster care for two years or longer in 2020 experienced three or more placements.

The impact of such instability on foster children is profound, affecting their emotional well-being, educational progress, and behavior. Repeated relocations can foster feelings of rejection and insecurity, disrupt schooling, and contribute to behavioral challenges as children struggle to cope with uncertainty and trauma. Child development experts emphasize that consistency and stable attachments are crucial for a child's healthy development.

Organizations and advocates are actively working to minimize placement disruptions, recognizing the negative outcomes associated with frequent moves. Efforts include comprehensive matching processes between children and foster families, providing ongoing support for foster parents, and exploring pathways to permanency, such as adoption, when reunification is not feasible or safe.