An NPR investigation into foster care outcomes found that children with disabilities represent the largest population entering the system and experience significantly worse trajectories than their non-disabled counterparts. Analysis of federal data covering more than 500,000 children and youth in foster care revealed that disabled children remain in the system 50% longer on average. Additionally, they are less likely to reunify with biological parents or be adopted into permanent families.
The investigation included interviews with former foster youth who detailed their experiences navigating the system. Tyrone Laundersville was placed in a psychiatric residential treatment facility at age 9 after displaying screaming, aggression, and property destruction. Rather than receiving treatment that would enable him to return home, he was repeatedly transferred between increasingly restrictive facilities for nine years. Laundersville described the constant moves and institutional settings as deeply harmful, particularly the absence of parental connection and advocacy during his formative years. He received multiple diagnoses including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
Marissa Pike’s case highlighted the consequences of misdiagnosis within the foster care system. Her undiagnosed autism was initially interpreted as a constellation of mental health and behavioral problems. Between ages 12 and 22, Pike was moved through more than 30 placements, many of which were psychiatric centers and hospitals where she received anti-psychotic medications. Pike explained that behaviors stemming from overstimulation—such as screaming and yelling—were labeled as problematic and defiant rather than recognized as communication attempts related to her autism.
Both individuals described how institutional responses to behavioral outbursts—including physical restraint by multiple staff members for extended periods—exacerbated their distress rather than addressing underlying needs. Recent neuroscience indicates that such restraint and punitive techniques can trigger additional behavioral escalation by activating stress responses in children’s bodies. Pike noted that simple environmental accommodations, such as quiet time and noise-canceling headphones, would have prevented many of the incidents that led to her transfer between facilities.
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