Full document

Abstract

Each year, nearly 200,000 abused and neglected children are placed into foster care in the U.S., yet the causal impacts of this policy are not fully understood. Using administrative data, we find that out-of-home placements result in significant increases in the test scores and decrease the likelihood of grade repetition of young girls (removed before the age of six). We do not find detectable impacts in young boys. Our findings suggest that removal impacts are particular to gender.