TABLE 1—

Characteristics of US Children in the Child Welfare System (n = 2501) in Each Latent Insurance Class: National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, 1999–2004

Variable	Gainer, Unweighted No. (Weighted %)	Maintainer, Unweighted No. (Weighted %)
Total	158 (7.6)	2343 (92.4)
Child characteristics
Age, y
2–5	47 (6.3)	724 (93.7)
6–11	68 (6.8)	1093 (93.2)
≥12	43 (11.8)	526 (88.2)
Gender
Boy	67 (8.9)	1099 (91.1)
Girl	91 (6.5)	1244 (93.5)
Race/ethnicity
African American	33 (5.3)	706 (94.7)
White	70 (6.9)	1107 (93.1)
Hispanic	43 (8.9)	372 (91.1)
Other	12 (20)	158 (80)
Maltreatment history*
Physical abuse	48 (7.6)	707 (92.4)
Sexual abuse	44 (17.9)	388 (82.1)
Neglect	19 (5.5)	348 (94.5)
Abandonment	2 (2.4)	104 (97.6)
Placement**
In family foster care, placed with relatives, or in group home	7 (0.9)	518 (99.1)
In own home	151 (8.2)	1825 (91.8)
Emotional/behavioral need
≥64 on the externalizing scale of the CBCL	60 (6.8)	976 (93.2)
≥64 on the internalizing scale of the CBCL	49 (8.4)	799 (91.6)
Physical health need (general health status)*
Excellent, very good, or good health	121 (8.6)	1645 (91.4)
Fair or poor health	37 (4.8)	698 (95.2)
Developmental need
Score < 2 SD on assessment instruments	1826 (92.3)	124 (7.7)
Score > 2 SD on assessment instruments	517 (92.6)	34 (7.4)
Current caregiver characteristics
Highest educational level
Less than high school	52 (7.2)	654 (92.8)
Any high school	68 (6.7)	1027 (93.3)
High school diploma or any college	38 (9.6)	661 (90.4)
Employment status
Full time	70 (9)	977 (91)
Part time	27 (6.7)	333 (93.3)
Unemployed	55 (6.7)	923 (93.3)

Note. CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist. Gainers were children who gained insurance coverage over the waves of data collection. Maintainers were children who maintained insurance coverage over time.

* P < .05; **P < .001.