Everything that I've learned about foster care tells me that removing children from their surroundings is a traumatic event, and should be only a last resort. In many cases, there are a lot of things that can be done instead of just taking kids away.
If there's any research that shows I'm wrong, and that taking troubled kids away from their families is actually the best thing for their development, I'm eager to hear about it.
In many/most jurisdictions, "just taking kids away" is the last straw. If the situation can be remedied with support, periodic social worker visits, and parenting classes, everyone prefers that outcome.
And then the second preferred outcome is finding a caregiver in the extended family.
If there's any research that shows I'm wrong, and that taking troubled kids away from their families is actually the best thing for their development, I'm eager to hear about it.