By comparing fourth - grade literacy outcomes against the experiences and inputs that produced these results — including indicators of
health -
care and preschool
access, family economic well - being,
mental -
health and child - welfare services, nutrition, and comprehensive school quality — we can identify gaps in how we are serving children and target investments and reforms
to those areas with the
greatest potential
to improve children's long - term life outcomes.
On social - emotional measures, foster children in the NSCAW study tended
to have more compromised functioning than would be expected from a high - risk sample.43 Moreover, as indicated in the previous section, research suggests that foster children are more likely than nonfoster
care children
to have insecure or disordered attachments, and the adverse long - term outcomes associated with such attachments.44 Many studies of foster children postulate that a majority have
mental health difficulties.45 They have higher rates of depression, poorer social skills, lower adaptive functioning, and more externalizing behavioral problems, such as aggression and impulsivity.46 Additionally, research has documented high levels of
mental health service utilization among foster children47 due
to both
greater mental health needs and
greater access to services.
The
greatest training needs (each reported by 25 % -30 % of home visitors) are how
to recognize and deal with problem alcohol or other drug use, how
to recognize and deal with
mental health issues, and how
to access health care coverage for parents and children.