Placement, foster family, residential care, meeting, foster child, caregiver relationship
Abstract :
[en] The aim of this study was to compare the psychological health of children in foster care with that of children in institutional care. Social workers were asked to assess the psychological health of the children as well as several other criteria on the basis of an analysis grid. Our sample consisted of 568 children placed in foster care and 661 children placed in institutions.
Our results show that children in care who lived longer with their birth parents have a lower psychological health. Furthermore, the psychological health of children in residential care is lower than children placed in foster families. As children in institution are placed later than children in foster families, this may partially explain the lower psychological health of children in residential care.
As a result, children in residential care have experienced more abuse and neglect and witnessed more domestic violence than children in foster care. In addition, children in residential care have more poor-quality contacts with their birth parents than children in foster family. These contacts negatively influence their psychological health.
Finally, the factor that most influences the psychological health of children in care is the quality of the relationship with the people who care for them on a daily basis. Again, children placed in foster families have better-quality relationships with their foster families than children placed in institutions.
Disciplines :
Social work & social policy
Author, co-author :
Chartier, Stéphanie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Adaptation, Résilience et CHangement (ARCH)
Blavier, Adelaïde ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psycho-traumatisme
Language :
English
Title :
Are Children in Foster Care in Better Psychological Health than Children in Institutions? What Factors Influence the Outcome?
Alternative titles :
[fr] Les enfants placés en famille d'accueil ont-ils une meilleurs santé mentale que ceux placés en institution ? Quels sont les facteurs qui influencent celle-ci?
Original title :
[en] Are Children in Foster Care in Better Psychological Health than Children in Institutions? What Factors Influence the Outcome?
Publication date :
2022
Journal title :
Child and Family Social Work
ISSN :
1356-7500
eISSN :
1365-2206
Publisher :
Blackwell, Oxford, United Kingdom
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
FWB AGAJ - Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Administration générale de l'Aide à la jeunesse
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