URL:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00454.x

Abstract:

This paper presents findings from longitudinal research that uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore children’s perceptions of outcomes of the care experience. Children’s self-assessments on two occasions reflect a high level of psychosocial need. Important relationships emerged regarding the children’s judgements of their interpersonal skills and attachments. Children who displayed stronger maternal attachment were likely to sustain highly cohesive relationships with the rest of the foster family. Themes emerging from the data are discussed, including the role of foster mothers and fathers in enhancing developmental outcomes for children.

Notes:

From the Evan B. Donaldson newsletter: As part of a longitudinal study of children in long-term foster care, interviews were conducted with 59 children at two points in time; the results indicated that while the children appeared to have good relationships with their caretakers, most wanted more contact with their families of origin. "How Children Experience Fostering Outcomes: Participatory Research with Children," by Elizabeth Fernandez, was published in the November issue of Child and Family Social Work (Volume 12, Issue 4). More than half of the children never saw their fathers and many wanted to reconnect. The majority had multiple anxiety symptoms on a standardized measure, and anxiety at Time 1 was strongly associated with adjustment problems at Time 2.