Does state eviction protection policy buffer the effect of housing instability on foster care entry? Evidence from IPV-exposed families.

BACKGROUND: Children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) face an elevated risk of foster care placement, yet the structural conditions shaping this pathway remain insufficiently understood. OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether caregiver housing instability increases the likelihood of foster care entry among IPV-exposed children and whether state-level eviction protection policies in the United States moderate this association. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 53,159 children with documented IPV exposure across 17 jurisdictions, drawn from linked administrative data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). METHODS: Multilevel logistic regression models were estimated to assess the relationship between caregiver housing instability and foster care entry, and to test whether U.S. state eviction protection policies moderated this association. RESULTS: Caregiver housing instability was associated with substantially higher odds of foster care entry (OR = 5.26, p < .001). This association was significantly attenuated in states with eviction protection policies (interaction OR = 0.47, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: U.S. state-level housing policies may serve as a structural buffer against foster care placement among IPV-affected families, highlighting the potential of housing stability interventions to reduce unnecessary child welfare involvement.