title: Adverse family experiences among children in nonparental care, 2011-2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report presents estimates of the proportion of children who have experienced selected adverse family events by the number of biological parents in the household, with a focus on comparisons among subgroups of children in nonparental care defined by caregiver type.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative telephone survey of households with children conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in nonparental care were 2.7 times as likely as children living with two biological parents to have had at least one adverse experience, and more than 2 times as likely as children living with one biological parent and about 30 times as likely as children living with two biological parents to have had four or more adverse experiences. More than one-half of children in foster care had experienced caregiver violence or caregiver incarceration and almost two-thirds had lived with someone with an alcohol or drug problem. Estimates for children in other nonparental care subgroups were lower than for foster care, but still elevated above those of children living with biological parents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children in nonparental care, especially those in foster care, are particularly likely to have experienced adverse family events. These events could have occurred at any time in the child's life and could have preceded or contributed to the child's current living situation. Nevertheless, children in nonparental care may be vulnerable to poorer health and well-being outcomes that are often associated with having had adverse experiences.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Health Statistics.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bramlett
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
authors.forename: Laura F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Radel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008016:Life Change Events; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data