Importance: Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are more likely to be placed in foster care than other youth. Examining the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of youth with I/DD in the foster care system is critical for identifying disparities and understanding service needs.
Objective: To produce a population-level analysis of youth with I/DD in foster care that examines differences in rates of foster care involvement based on race, ethnicity, age, and sex.
Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study involved all individuals with I/DD 21 years and younger enrolled in Medicaid through foster care in 2016 via data from Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files (TAF) for all 50 US states and Washington, DC. As a key insurer of I/DD services and foster care, Medicaid claims offer a timely population-level analysis. Youth with I/DD were grouped into diagnostic subgroups: autism spectrum disorder (ASD) only, intellectual disability only, or ASD and ID. The data analysis took place from July 2022 to September 2023.
Exposure: TAF data contain Medicaid enrollment information by month with a binary indicator of foster care involvement, and eligibility files identify race, ethnicity, age, and sex.
Main outcomes and measures: The period prevalence of foster care involvement was determined among I/DD youth by diagnostic subgroups using an intersectional approach across race, ethnicity, age, and sex. Logistic regression examined associations between risk for foster care involvement and race, ethnicity, age, and sex.
Results: A total of 39 143 youth with I/DD had foster care involvement in 2016. Black youth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.28-1.47) and females (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.1-1.27) had increased likelihood for foster care involvement. The likelihood for foster care involvement increased with age in all groups relative to the age group 0 to 5 years old.
Conclusions and relevance: This study found that among youth with I/DD, Black youth and females faced higher risk for foster care involvement, and the likelihood of foster care involvement increased with age. There is an urgent need for research that focuses on addressing system-level factors that drive increased risk. Understanding the specific health needs of Black and female youth with I/DD is critical to ensure the formation, implementation, and monitoring of equitable delivery of health services.