Children and Family Research Center: Conclusion: Children are more likely to attend religious services when their caregivers attend religious services. This is true in the general population, and it is true for maltreated children who remain with their parents following an investigation and for children in foster care placements. Maltreating parents are less likely to attend religious services than foster parents, so it is likely that in addition to changes in their home and school, children entering foster care will also be experiencing changes in how often they attend religious services. Not enough is known about religious attendance and its meaning among children in substitute care to know if this type of change will have a positive or negative effect on the well-being of children entering foster care. Additional research that examines the effects of religious attendance on youth well-being outcomes, including youth in foster care, is needed. Link to Research Brief