Following 36,797 children who first entered out-of-home care in Washington State between 2001 and 2007, this article identifies significant variation in the rates at which children experience legal permanency among jurisdictions within the state. These variations cannot be readily explained by differences in the characteristics of the populations served. The findings have implications for efforts to hold institutions accountable for achieving legal permanency for children in out-of-home care.
Citation
Courtney, M. E., & Hook, J. L. (2012). Timing of exits to legal permanency from out-of-home care: The importance of systems and implications for assessing institutional accountability. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(12), 2263–2272.