Impact of Placement Disruption on School Outcomes in Maltreated Youth

School attendance is a crucial component of a youth’s ability to access resources and attain educational success. Maltreated youth are at increased risk for school absences, poor school performance, impairment in cognitive processes, and development of psychopathology. Disruption from their known systems (i.e., family, social, school) as a result of removal from home creates unique and substantial barriers for maltreated youth in attending and engaging in school. The present study used a sample of maltreated youth and binomial logistic regression analyses to determine if the number of lifetime placements impacts school outcome variables of school attendance, classroom behavior, and academic achievement. The present study highlighted the educational impacts of placement disruption and explored implications for public policy regarding maltreated youth. Hypothesis 1 was that a significant relationship would be found between impairment across school outcome variables and the number of lifetime transfers in housing. Hypothesis 2 was that a significant relationship would be found between clinician’s ratings of disruptive classroom behaviors and the number of lifetime transfers in housing and a youth’s demographic variables (i.e., race, gender, age, longevity in DFS, assessed before or after COVID-19 shutdown). Hypothesis 3 was that a significant relationship would be found between impairment across school outcome variables and the number of lifetime placements within high-risk settings (i.e., inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities, and detention centers). Binomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the hypotheses. Hypotheses were partially supported. Findings determined youth were 2.1 times as likely to experience problematic classroom behaviors for every 9.60 placements after initial 9 placements. Furthermore, 3 lifetime placements within inpatient psychiatric care settings increased the likelihood of problematic classroom behaviors by 1.59 times. No association between school achievement and the lifetime number of placements, demographic variables, or high-risk placements was found. Age was a significant predictor of problematic school attendance in that older youth were 1.29 times as likely to experience problematic school attendance for every year they age. The present study’s findings have implications for policies focusing on research specific to CPS-involved youth, the incorporation of trauma informed school systems, increased mental health access, and stabilization for home and school placement at the local, state, and federal levels. Additional research is necessary to further evaluate the impact of CPS involvement on school outcomes.