The Placement of Children in Need of Out-of-Home Care: Forms of Care and Differences in Attachment Security and...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Work

Background:

• Children in out-of-home care face unique challenges impacting attachment and behavior.
• Different care arrangements (adoption, foster, institutional) may yield varied outcomes.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for effective child welfare interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare secure attachment levels and behavioral problems in children across four Italian out-of-home care settings.
• To investigate the influence of care type on adolescent psychological well-being.
• To provide insights for improving support systems for children in care.

Main Methods:

• Study included 130 adolescents (aged 10-19) in closed adoption, open adoption, foster care, and institutional care.
• Utilized the Attachment Interview for Childhood and Adolescence and Achenbach Youth Self-Report.
• Employed multivariate analysis of covariance and measured variable path analysis, controlling for age, gender, and time to placement.

Main Results:

• Adolescents in closed adoption demonstrated higher secure attachment scores than those in foster care and institutional care.
• Adolescents in open adoption exhibited significantly higher scores for problem behaviors compared to other care groups.
• Care setting significantly correlates with both attachment security and behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Closed adoption appears to foster more secure attachment compared to foster or institutional care.
• Open adoption may be associated with increased behavioral challenges, necessitating targeted support.
• Findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions based on the specific out-of-home care context.