ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the results of an investigation of the child, family, and foster care system variables that are associated with the timing of family reunification. It uses administrative data collected for California's Foster Care Information System to assess the impact of selected variables on the probability that a child will return home from foster care. The chapter examines the outcomes of foster care placement from a retrospective viewpoint. It suggests that initial foster care placement with kin is associated with a significantly slower rate of family reunification during the first several months of foster care than placement in other foster care settings. The chapter also suggests that the outcome of the first "spell" in foster care. Families who received preplacement prevention services have their children returned home from kinship homes faster than families who did not received such services.
