[Evaluation of a training program for child welfare case workers on trauma sequelae in foster children]

Area of Science:

• Child Welfare
• Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Foster children face significant psychosocial and biological risks, increasing their vulnerability to developmental delays and mental health disorders.
• Pre-placement experiences like neglect and abuse heighten the need for specialized mental health services.
• Out-of-home placement alone is often insufficient to address these complex needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance child welfare agencies' and foster parent organizations' awareness of foster children's specific needs and histories.
• To equip these organizations with tools for assessing emotional and behavioral problems.
• To foster collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems.

Main Methods:

• A project involving 24 child welfare agencies and 4 foster parent organizations.
• A control group of 16 non-participating child welfare agencies.
• Intervention focused on sensitization, provision of assessment tools, and inter-system cooperation.

Main Results:

• Participating agencies more frequently recorded children's social history (p = .023).
• Standardized psychosocial assessments were conducted more often (p = .001).
• Medical needs (p = .029) and behavioral problems were assessed and communicated more frequently to foster parents (p = .034).

Conclusions:

• Child welfare agencies demonstrated high interest and successfully integrated new instruments after sensitization to trauma-related mental disorders.
• The intervention effectively improved assessment and information dissemination practices.
• Resource limitations, such as high caseloads for caseworkers, were noted as a constraint.