Adolescent Motherhood and the Child Welfare System: Incidence and Prevalence of Early Childbearing among Maltreated Girls Exposed to Foster Care

Although research has suggested that girls in foster care are at high risk of early childbirth, limited data have been available from which rates could be calculated and characterized. Using probabilistically linked vital birth records and administrative child welfare service data for the state of California, this study involved two separate analyses that measured the incidence and prevalence of early childbearing among maltreated adolescent girls who received child welfare services or were in foster care. The study generated cross-sectional birth rates among adolescent girls in foster care and compared those rates to similarly aged girls in the general population. Results indicated that a relatively small number of 15- to 17-year-old girls in foster care gave birth each year but on average, birth rates were 60% higher among the foster care population than they were in the general population. Black and Latina adolescents in foster care were more likely to give birth than their White counterparts. Girls who were in foster care for less time or experienced greater placement instability also had higher rates of adolescent childbirth. The study also prospectively assessed the cumulative rate of a first birth among a cohort of girls who experienced their first known substantiated allegation of maltreatment after their 10th birthday. Extended Cox proportional hazards models were specified to assess whether or not placement in foster care was associated with a higher rate of early childbirth. Among the full population, just under 18% gave birth for the first time before their 20th birthday. After adjusting for race/ethnicity and maltreatment-related experiences, adolescent girls who spent time in foster care gave birth at a rate that was 12% higher than those who remained at home.Adolescent mothers with a history of maltreatment and foster care placement may be particularly vulnerable to social, economic and emotional challenges across a number of domains, including a heightened risk for maltreating their own children. The child welfare system has a unique opportunity to provide targeted services and supports to adolescent girls in foster care before, during, and after pregnancy, which can promote their well-being and prevent intergenerational abuse and neglect