Findings from the current study indicated that older children had higher overall scores in the Behavioral and Emotional, Risk Behavior and School domains than the younger group. Very few studies have investigated age differences in the prevalence of needs in children in out-of-home care. Of the few studies where age differences were found, younger children were found to have a higher level of needs,especially with regard to psychopathology. As with placement of girls in residential facilities, there is a possibility that the threshold for placing a younger child into residential or out-of-home placements is higher as the authorities may be reluctant to separate younger children from their caregivers. In the
Singaporean context, VCHs and foster care are not restrictive placements meant for children who are severely emotionally or behaviorally dysregulated. Hence, the tolerance level or criteria for admission to out-of-home placements in Singapore may be lower.Older children were also more likely to demonstrate Risk Behavior needs than the younger group. Research indicates that experimentation with risk behaviors such as smoking increases as children transit from childhood into adolescence. Younger children may also be less exposed to risk behaviors and less susceptible to peer influence than their adolescent counterparts.