International Journal of Social Welfare
Volume 17, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 301-311

Out-of-home care among immigrant children in Sweden: A national cohort study (Article)

Vinnerljung B.* , Franzén E. , Gustafsson B. , Johansson I.-M.
  • a Centre for Epidemiology, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden, Institute for Evidence-Based Social Work Practice, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, National Board of Health and Welfare, S 106 30 Stockholm, Sweden
  • b Centre for Epidemiology, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden
  • c Department of Social Work, Göteborg University, Gothenburg, Sweden, Institute for the Study of Labour (IZA), Bonn, Germany
  • d Department of Social Work, Göteborg University, Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract

We used data from several national registers for ten entire birth cohorts (n > 1 million) to examine the representation of first generation immigrant children among first time entries into out-of-home care (foster or residential care) at ages 7-12 and 13-17. Logistic regression models were used to adjust results for socioeconomic background factors. Immigrant children were categorised in six groups relating to birth country/continent. Compared with Swedish-born peers, immigrant children from non-European countries had between two- and three-fold sex and birth-year adjusted odds for being placed in care for the first time at ages 7-12. After adjustments for five socioeconomic background variables, none of these overrisks remained. Instead there was a tendency towards immigrant background being associated with reduced risks, statistically significant for immigrant children born in non-Nordic European countries. Immigrant children had between two- and six-fold age and birth-year adjusted odds for entering care for the first time during adolescence. After adjusting the results for socioeconomic background, only immigrant children born in Sub-Saharan Africa or in Asia outside the Middle East had significant overrisks for care entries at ages 13-17 (odds ratio = 1.5). © Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

Author Keywords

Childcare foster care Immigrant Child welfare Residential care Cohort study Migrant epidemiology

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-51049087734&doi=10.1111%2fj.1468-2397.2008.00568.x&partnerID=40&md5=1d30fbee65a1db04bf559859cf69834e
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2397.2008.00568.x
ISSN: 13696866
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English