The goal of the proposed research project is to analyze public agency adoption in New York State in an attempt to better inform the adoption policy process. Children's probability of placement and the length of wait until placement will be estimated as a function of their characteristics (e.g., race, sex, handicap, etc.), the characteristics of their county of origin (e.g., demographics, rural vs. urban, structure of county agency), and policy parameters. Lack of placement and delays until placement have been shown to have significant impacts on children's mental health. To undertake this study, primary data needs to be collected, organized and verified. Empirical techniques will include various continuous time models, logistic regressions, and factor analyses.
