Positive reading achievement outcomes in children who experience out-of-home care: Characteristics and predictors.

Background: Children who enter out-of-home care ('care') are at increased risk for low academic achievement. Nonetheless, some children who have experienced out-of-home care achieve highly. Several qualitative studies of academically successful young adults with care histories have highlighted factors that may contribute to positive outcomes; however longitudinal cohort research is needed to identify characteristics and predictors of higher achieving younger children who experienced care.

Adolescent education outcomes and maltreatment: The role of pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendance.

Background: Maltreated children are at high risk for low educational achievement, however few studies have accounted for confounding risk factors that commonly co-occur (including child, family and neighbourhood risk factors) and results have been mixed, particularly for adolescents.

Objectives: We aimed to 1) examine the relationship between maltreatment and low educational achievement among Year 9 students, taking into account child, family and neighbourhood risk factors; 2) assess subgroup differences in outcomes based on level of child protection involvement and maltreatment type; and 3) identify prevalence and risk factors for low educational achievement.

Participants And Setting: A population birth cohort of West Australian children (N = 33,866) who sat national reading achievement tests between 2008 and 2010 was used for the main analysis.

Role of pre-existing adversity and child maltreatment on mental health outcomes for children involved in child protection: population-based data linkage study.

Objectives: To determine mental health outcomes for children with a history of child protection system involvement, accounting for pre-existing adversity, and to examine variation in risk across diagnostic groupings and child protection subgroups.

Design: A longitudinal, population-based record-linkage study.

Participants: All children in Western Australia (WA) with birth records between 1990 and 2009.

Out-of-Home Care and the Educational Achievement, Attendance, and Suspensions of Maltreated Children: A Propensity-Matched Study.

Objective: To estimate the influence of out-of-home care on reading scores, attendance, and suspensions by comparing a matched sample of maltreated children who entered out-of-home care and maltreated children who remained at home.

Study Design: Linked administrative data for all children born in Western Australia between 1990 and 2010 was used, focusing on those with substantiated maltreatment before year 9 achievement tests (n = 3297). Propensity score modelling was used to address differences in preexisting risk factors (child, family, neighborhood characteristics, maltreatment history, and reading scores) and compare outcomes for children placed in out-of-home care and those remaining in in-home care.

Relationship between out-of-home care placement history characteristics and educational achievement: A population level linked data study.

Studies generally show children who have entered out-of-home care have worse educational outcomes than the general population, although recent research suggests maltreatment and other adversities are major contributing factors. Children's out-of-home care experiences vary and may affect their outcomes. This study examined the influence of placement stability, reunification, type of care, time in care and age at entry to care on children's educational outcomes.

Trends in alcohol-related injury admissions in adolescents in Western Australia and England: population-based cohort study.

Background: Alcohol-related harm in young people is now a global health priority. We examined trends in hospital admissions for alcohol-related injuries for adolescents in Western Australia (WA) and in England, identified groups most at risk and determined causes of injuries.

Methods: Annual incidence rates for alcohol-related injury rates were calculated using population-level hospital admissions data for WA and England.

Maltreatment Risk Among Children With Disabilities.

Background: Children with disabilities are at increased risk of child maltreatment; however, there is a gap in the evidence about whether all disabilities are at equal risk and whether risk factors vary according to the type of disability.

Methods: A population-based record-linkage study of all children born in Western Australia between 1990 and 2010. Children with disabilities were identified by using population-based registers and risk of maltreatment determined by allegations reported to the Department for Child Protection and Family Support.

Pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendance predict educational outcomes in a longitudinal study.

Maltreatment largely occurs in a multiple-risk context. The few large studies adjusting for confounding factors have raised doubts about whether low educational achievement results from maltreatment or co-occurring risk factors. This study examined prevalence, risk and protective factors for low educational achievement among children involved with the child protection system compared to other children.

Maternal mental health and risk of child protection involvement: mental health diagnoses associated with increased risk.

Background: Previous research shows that maternal mental illness is an important risk factor for child maltreatment. This study aims to quantify the relationship between maternal mental health and risk of child maltreatment according to the different types of mental health diagnoses.

Methods: The study used a retrospective cohort of children born in Western Australia between 1990 and 2005, with deidentified linked data from routine health and child protection collections.