Factors leading to foster care reentry: experiences of housing unstable families

Children from housing unstable families have a high risk of reentering the child welfare system. However, to our knowledge, no studies have specifically explored qualitative factors related to child welfare reentry among housing unstable families focusing on their and their service providers’ perspectives. This study was a qualitative follow-up on findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to promote safe and timely reunification among housing unstable families. We explored the perspectives of seven housing-unstable caregivers whose children had reentered the foster care system, and 12 service providers regarding factors associated with foster-care reentry. Applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and ecological systems theory, our findings revealed that individual level (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health) and system level (e.g., service provider prejudice and bias) factors were associated with foster care reentry. We offer suggestions for implications for research, policy, and practice.