Opoku, Richmond, Judd, Natasha, Cresswell, Katie, Parker, Michael, James, Michaela, Scourfield, Jonathan  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6218-8158, Hughes, Karen, Noyes, Jane, Bristow, Dan, Kontopantelis, Evangelos, Brophy, Sinead and Kennedy, Natasha
2025.
Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews.
Children and Youth Services Review
177
, 108467.
10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467
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Abstract
Background: Out-of-home care entry can have profound effects on families, society, and a child’s development and wellbeing. This review synthesised evidence on the factors contributing to initial entry and re-entry into out-of-home care during childhood (<18 years), as well as those that protect against these outcomes. Methods: A systematic review of published reviews was conducted. EBSCOhost, ProQuest, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Epistemonikos were searched. Eligible reviews were peer-reviewed, published in English from 2013 to 2024, focused on childhood out-of-home care placement (<18 years), and were conducted primarily in high-income countries. Framework synthesis approach was used to identify key factors associated with care entry. Results: Of the 711 records identified, seven reviews were included. Key child-level risks included ethnicity, health, and behavioural challenges; family-level risks encompassed parental socioeconomic adversities and substance use; community-level risks involved poor neighbourhood conditions; and system-level risks included prior child welfare involvement and placement characteristics (e.g., placement instability for re-entry into care). Protective factors included child-level factors such as being elementary school-aged (6–12 years) and ethnicity; family-level factors such as high parental income and education; community-level factors, including access to essential services; and system-level factors, such as increased funding for child welfare. Conclusions: The evidence highlights that the factors contributing to care entry extend beyond the children’s social care system, encompassing child, family, and community-level influences. There is potential for policymakers and practitioners to move beyond reactive child welfare measures by adopting preventative, holistic solutions across various public services.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Research Institutes & Centres > Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE) |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0190-7409 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 16 July 2025 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 10 July 2025 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Jul 2025 10:45 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179870 |
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