Placement preferences among children living in foster or kinship care: A cluster analysis Darcey H. Merritt ⁎ Rutgers University, School of Social Work, 536 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States article info abstract Article history: Received 8 February 2008 Received in revised form 12 April 2008 Accepted 15 April 2008 Available online 23 April 2008 This research provides a longitudinal assessment regarding children's placement preferences, distinguishing between what children prefer to be permanent home situations and what children expect will be permanent situations. Cluster analysis was used in an effort to classify the responses of 1313 children, ages 6–14, in foster or kinship care, over a three year period, regarding placement preferences. Results of the cluster analyses indicate classification in the following four groups of permanency preferences: 1) I don't want to be here/going home; 2) I can stay here, but I don't want to/going home; 3) I can stay here and I want to, but no adoption; and 4) I can stay here and I want to, with adoption. Findings indicate that across waves of data collection, children express a sense of belonging in their foster homes. Older children were more agreeable to their current placements as long as there was no option of permanency/adoption. Also, White children were more likely to prefer and expect to go home. This research provides great utility in evaluative efforts that include listening to the voices of the children by encouraging their participation in case planning and service evaluation. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Foster care Permanency Placement outcomes Cluster analysis 1. Introduction Understanding the feelings and attitudes of foster children can have a significant impact in tailoring foster care interventions to include a host of client desired external circumstances and relational experiences. A fundamental tenet of social work is beginning treatment from the client's perspective. Unfortunately, the input of foster children regarding their preferences of the intervention goal, permanency, has not been actively sought and valued. Foster care is characterized by severe disruption: new neighborhoods, new families, new schools, and new friends. Studies rarely include documentation and assessment of children's feelings and thoughts regarding their foster placements (Berrick, Frasch, & Fox, 2000). Child welfare interventions would benefit from foster children's feedback regarding their desired placement outcomes. Further, giving voice to the children, who are those most directly impacted by the foster care system, increases their personal sense of empowerment. This study examines perceptions of children regarding their placement preferences and expectations while living in new and temporary living situations. Establishing permanency for foster children consists of determining the most stable, consistent environment for appropriate growth and development. Permanency can be characterized as simply a permanent home to live in; however, more subjectively understood as a sense of belonging to a family network. This research measures permanency planning goal achievement, as outlined by the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), yet from the perspectives of the children. Previous reports have assessed the perceptions of foster children, now adults (Wilson & Conroy, 1994), but few have inquired with the child while in care (Berrick et al., 2000). Children, the primary consumers of the child welfare system, need to have input in evaluation efforts of foster care interventions (Fox, Frasch, & Berrick, 2000). Assessing the perceptions and thoughts of foster children may provide useful information, including what foster children understand about permanency and how their cognitive structures Children and Youth Services Review 30 (2008) 1336–1344 ⁎ Tel.: +1 732 932 8003x16. E-mail address: darceym@rci.rutgers.edu. 0190-7409/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.04.002 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Children and Youth Services Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth