Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews

OPOKU, RICHMOND; Judd, Natasha; Cresswell, Katie; Parker, Michael; James, Michaela; Scourfield, Jonathan; Hughes, Karen; Noyes, Jane; Bristow, Dan; Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Brophy, Sinead; Kennedy, Tash

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467

Journal article 417 views 51 downloads

Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews

RICHMOND OPOKU, Natasha Judd, Katie Cresswell, Michael Parker, Michaela James

, Jonathan Scourfield, Karen Hughes, Jane Noyes, Dan Bristow, Evangelos Kontopantelis, Sinead Brophy

, Tash Kennedy

Children and Youth Services Review, Volume: 177, Start page: 108467

Swansea University Authors: RICHMOND OPOKU, Michael Parker, Michaela James , Sinead Brophy , Tash Kennedy

PDF | Version of Record

© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
Download (1.03MB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467

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...

Full description

Published in:	Children and Youth Services Review
ISSN:	0190-7409 1873-7765
Published:	Elsevier BV 2025
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69961

first_indexed	2025-07-15T08:30:24Z
last_indexed	2025-08-01T14:33:40Z
id	cronfa69961
recordtype	SURis
fullrecord	<?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-07-31T11:20:06.8519254</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>69961</id><entry>2025-07-15</entry><title>Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>ed7d86e4ee6e5f3b0d46810ef83e92df</sid><firstname>RICHMOND</firstname><surname>OPOKU</surname><name>RICHMOND OPOKU</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>a4dfe07a6b18fdf6d537962b8f24fbdf</sid><firstname>Michael</firstname><surname>Parker</surname><name>Michael Parker</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>9a717d184fb8f768e462d95b91e63e23</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-7047-0049</ORCID><firstname>Michaela</firstname><surname>James</surname><name>Michaela James</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>84f5661b35a729f55047f9e793d8798b</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-7417-2858</ORCID><firstname>Sinead</firstname><surname>Brophy</surname><name>Sinead Brophy</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>3f6f07de33204db4c0ab665fb4b36367</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-1500-7112</ORCID><firstname>Tash</firstname><surname>Kennedy</surname><name>Tash Kennedy</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-07-15</date><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.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Children and Youth Services Review</journal><volume>177</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>108467</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0190-7409</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1873-7765</issnElectronic><keywords>Out-of-home care; Foster care; Child welfare; Risk factors; Protective factors; Public involvement; Systematic review</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>10</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-10-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders>This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR156826 − CARELINK Wales − Comprehensive Analysis of Risk factors and outcomes for vulnerable children through LINKed Welsh data), UK, and the Economic and Social Research Council – Administrative Data Research (ESRC-ADR), UK (PhD studentship).</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-07-31T11:20:06.8519254</lastEdited><Created>2025-07-15T09:06:27.4085725</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science</level></path><authors><author><firstname>RICHMOND</firstname><surname>OPOKU</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Natasha</firstname><surname>Judd</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Katie</firstname><surname>Cresswell</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Michael</firstname><surname>Parker</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Michaela</firstname><surname>James</surname><orcid>0000-0001-7047-0049</orcid><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Jonathan</firstname><surname>Scourfield</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Karen</firstname><surname>Hughes</surname><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Jane</firstname><surname>Noyes</surname><order>8</order></author><author><firstname>Dan</firstname><surname>Bristow</surname><order>9</order></author><author><firstname>Evangelos</firstname><surname>Kontopantelis</surname><order>10</order></author><author><firstname>Sinead</firstname><surname>Brophy</surname><orcid>0000-0001-7417-2858</orcid><order>11</order></author><author><firstname>Tash</firstname><surname>Kennedy</surname><orcid>0000-0002-1500-7112</orcid><order>12</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>69961__34878__77eff52340204928ac792f337a9fc126.pdf</filename><originalFilename>69961.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-07-31T11:16:20.0732647</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1083552</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY license.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling	2025-07-31T11:20:06.8519254 v2 69961 2025-07-15 Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews ed7d86e4ee6e5f3b0d46810ef83e92df RICHMOND OPOKU RICHMOND OPOKU true false a4dfe07a6b18fdf6d537962b8f24fbdf Michael Parker Michael Parker true false 9a717d184fb8f768e462d95b91e63e23 0000-0001-7047-0049 Michaela James Michaela James true false 84f5661b35a729f55047f9e793d8798b 0000-0001-7417-2858 Sinead Brophy Sinead Brophy true false 3f6f07de33204db4c0ab665fb4b36367 0000-0002-1500-7112 Tash Kennedy Tash Kennedy true false 2025-07-15 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. Journal Article Children and Youth Services Review 177 108467 Elsevier BV 0190-7409 1873-7765 Out-of-home care; Foster care; Child welfare; Risk factors; Protective factors; Public involvement; Systematic review 1 10 2025 2025-10-01 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR156826 − CARELINK Wales − Comprehensive Analysis of Risk factors and outcomes for vulnerable children through LINKed Welsh data), UK, and the Economic and Social Research Council – Administrative Data Research (ESRC-ADR), UK (PhD studentship). 2025-07-31T11:20:06.8519254 2025-07-15T09:06:27.4085725 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science RICHMOND OPOKU 1 Natasha Judd 2 Katie Cresswell 3 Michael Parker 4 Michaela James 0000-0001-7047-0049 5 Jonathan Scourfield 6 Karen Hughes 7 Jane Noyes 8 Dan Bristow 9 Evangelos Kontopantelis 10 Sinead Brophy 0000-0001-7417-2858 11 Tash Kennedy 0000-0002-1500-7112 12 69961__34878__77eff52340204928ac792f337a9fc126.pdf 69961.VoR.pdf 2025-07-31T11:16:20.0732647 Output 1083552 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
spellingShingle	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews RICHMOND OPOKU Michael Parker Michaela James Sinead Brophy Tash Kennedy
title_short	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
title_full	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
title_fullStr	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
title_full_unstemmed	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
title_sort	Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews
author_id_str_mv	ed7d86e4ee6e5f3b0d46810ef83e92df a4dfe07a6b18fdf6d537962b8f24fbdf 9a717d184fb8f768e462d95b91e63e23 84f5661b35a729f55047f9e793d8798b 3f6f07de33204db4c0ab665fb4b36367
author_id_fullname_str_mv	ed7d86e4ee6e5f3b0d46810ef83e92df_*_RICHMOND OPOKU a4dfe07a6b18fdf6d537962b8f24fbdf__Michael Parker 9a717d184fb8f768e462d95b91e63e23__Michaela James 84f5661b35a729f55047f9e793d8798b__Sinead Brophy 3f6f07de33204db4c0ab665fb4b36367_**_Tash Kennedy
author	RICHMOND OPOKU Michael Parker Michaela James Sinead Brophy Tash Kennedy
author2	RICHMOND OPOKU Natasha Judd Katie Cresswell Michael Parker Michaela James Jonathan Scourfield Karen Hughes Jane Noyes Dan Bristow Evangelos Kontopantelis Sinead Brophy Tash Kennedy
format	Journal article
container_title	Children and Youth Services Review
container_volume	177
container_start_page	108467
publishDate	2025
institution	Swansea University
issn	0190-7409 1873-7765
doi_str_mv	10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108467
publisher	Elsevier BV
college_str	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id	facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id	facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str	Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science
document_store_str	1
active_str	0
description	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.
published_date	2025-10-01T07:46:10Z
_version_	1850744158683136000
score	11.088929

Factors associated with childhood out-of-home care entry and re-entry in high income countries: A systematic review of reviews

Similar Items