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.