Related Experiment Videos
A prospective, longitudinal study of children registered for adoption. A 15-year follow-up
Insights
Children adopted as infants showed initial adjustment issues but fared well by age 15. However, children in foster care or with biological mothers faced greater social maladjustment and academic underachievement.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychiatry
Background:
- Childhood development is influenced by early life environments.
- Understanding long-term outcomes for children in different care settings is crucial for policy.
- Adoption, foster care, and biological family rearing present unique challenges and benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term adjustment and academic outcomes of children adopted in infancy.
- To compare the developmental trajectories of adopted children with those raised in foster care or by their biological mothers.
- To inform child placement policies based on empirical evidence.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 624 children from infancy.
- Follow-up assessments at 11 and 15 years of age.
- Comparison of adjustment and academic performance between different child-rearing environments.
Main Results:
- At 11 years, all investigated children showed higher risks for nervous disturbances and maladjustment compared to peers.
- By 15 years, adopted children demonstrated comparable adjustment to their classmates.
- Children in foster care or with biological mothers exhibited significant social maladjustment and/or school underachievement at 15 years.
Conclusions:
- Adoption appears to provide a stable environment leading to positive adjustment by adolescence.
- Foster care and remaining with biological mothers may present ongoing challenges to social and academic success.
- Findings support the importance of stable, supportive environments for child well-being and development.
Abstract:
A cohort of 624 children, candidates for adoption as infants, were investigated at 11 and 15 years of age. At 11 years these children ran a greater risk than classmates of developing nervous disturbances and symptoms of maladjustment, regardless of whether they were growing up in adoptive home, a foster home or with their biological mother. At 15 years there was little difference in adjustment between the adopted children and their classmates, whereas children growing up in foster homes or with their biological mothers displayed a high proportion of social maladjustment and/or underachievement at school. The implications of these findings for child placement policies are discussed.