Youth in the foster care system are often removed from their biological families because of challenges to their safety and wellbeing and are often at risk for further placement disruption and poor socio-emotional development. Placement stability is a crucial component to establishing permanency and placement satisfaction might be a contributing factor. This study uses an ecological framework to explore the impact of the foster youth’s ecosystem, such as the foster child, foster parent, child welfare worker, and the placement environment on placement satisfaction. This quantitative study uses secondary data to determine the predictability of these factors on placement satisfaction of foster youth (10-17) in care for at least a year. Results from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses show that the youth’s perception of their relationship with the caregiver, and type of placement are important contributors to placement satisfaction. The study has important implications for theory, research, and practice.
","abstract_html":"<p>Youth in the foster care system are often removed from their biological families because of challenges to their safety and wellbeing and are often at risk for further placement disruption and poor socio-emotional development. Placement stability is a crucial component to establishing permanency and placement satisfaction might be a contributing factor. This study uses an ecological framework to explore the impact of the foster youth’s ecosystem, such as the foster child, foster parent, child welfare worker, and the placement environment on placement satisfaction. This quantitative study uses secondary data to determine the predictability of these factors on placement satisfaction of foster youth (10-17) in care for at least a year. Results from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses show that the youth’s perception of their relationship with the caregiver, and type of placement are important contributors to placement satisfaction. The study has important implications for theory, research, and practice.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McFarlane, Shereen"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counseling and Family Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Fox, Curtis A.","Distelberg, Brian","Flynn, Robert","Oloo, Winetta"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:38Z","subjects":["Child Psychology","Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster Children -- Care; Foster Children -- Mental health; Foster Home Care -- Psychology; Caregivers -- Psychology; Family Therapy","Foster Care System; Placement stability; Placement Satisfaction"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/309","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Fox, Curtis A.","Distelberg, Brian","Flynn, Robert","Oloo, Winetta"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McFarlane, Shereen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling and Family Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Child Psychology","Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster Children -- Care; Foster Children -- Mental health; Foster Home Care -- Psychology; Caregivers -- Psychology; Family Therapy","Foster Care System; Placement stability; Placement Satisfaction"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/309"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Youth in the foster care system are often removed from their biological families because of challenges to their safety and wellbeing and are often at risk for further placement disruption and poor socio-emotional development. Placement stability is a crucial component to establishing permanency and placement satisfaction might be a contributing factor. This study uses an ecological framework to explore the impact of the foster youth’s ecosystem, such as the foster child, foster parent, child welfare worker, and the placement environment on placement satisfaction. This quantitative study uses secondary data to determine the predictability of these factors on placement satisfaction of foster youth (10-17) in care for at least a year. Results from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses show that the youth’s perception of their relationship with the caregiver, and type of placement are important contributors to placement satisfaction. The study has important implications for theory, research, and practice.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/309"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Child Psychology","Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Foster Children -- Care; Foster Children -- Mental health; Foster Home Care -- Psychology; Caregivers -- Psychology; Family Therapy","Foster Care System; Placement stability; Placement Satisfaction"],"dc:title":["Predictors of Placement Satisfaction for Foster Youth"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling and Family Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:38Z"}