Attachment development of foster children

Prof. Dr. Katja Nowacki's research project at Fachhochschule Dortmund was a three-year study that investigated the "attachment development of foster children" in their foster families over a total period of one year. The research focused in particular on the integration of the child into the foster family and its psychosocial environment. The study also investigated whether a positive relationship between the foster child and the foster parents changed any existing psychological problems or stress levels in the child.

The aim of the study was to find out which factors are helpful for the positive development of foster children in order to develop longer-term counseling services for foster families.

The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Gottfried Spangler and Dr. Ina Bovenschen, was the project cooperation partner of the Dortmund research location. There were also collaborations with the Ruhr University Bochum and various youth welfare offices in the Ruhr region.

This research project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and was approved for the period from January 2010 to December 2013.

Background to the current study
Much is already known about the attachment development of children growing up in their biological families from studies on the development of parent-child relationships. In contrast, there are hardly any studies to date that deal with the attachment development of foster children.

Our findings to date
In an initial study, we invited 3 to 8-year-old foster children and their foster parents to visit us. We found out that some of the foster children still have attachment problems even after a long time in the foster family. The children's attachment problems are linked to other difficulties, e.g. aggressive behavior or problems with peers.

The intention of the study
As the first study involved foster children who had been living in their foster family for a longer period of time, we cannot say anything about why some children are more successful than others at building new positive relationships in the foster family.

In the study, we therefore wanted to follow foster children aged between 12 months and 6 years during their first year in the foster family. This made it possible to determine which factors contribute to a successful relationship in the foster family.

• Nowacki, K. & Remiorz, S. (2018). Attachment in foster children. Meaning, development and support. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer. https://www.kohlhammer.de/wms/instances/KOB/appDE/Psychologie/Entwicklungspsychologie/Bindung-bei-Pflegekindern-978-3-17-030858-9(Opens in a new tab) 
• Kliewer-Neumann, J.D., Zimmermann, J., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Lang, K., Spangler, G. & Nowacki, K. (2018). Assessment of attachment disorder symptoms in foster children: comparing diagnostic assessment tools. Children and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 12:43.
• Spangler, G., Bovenschen, I., Jorjadze, N., Zimmermann, J., Werner, A., Riedel, N., Gabler, S., Kliewer-Neumann, J.D. & Nowacki, K. (2018). Inhibited symptoms of Attachment Disorder in children from institutional and foster care samples. Attachment & Human Development, 21:2, 132-151.
• Lang, K., Bovenschen, I., Gabler, S., Zimmermann, J., Nowacki, K., Kliewer-Neumann, J. & Spangler, G. (2016). Forster Children's Attachment Security in the First Year After Placement: A Longitudinal Study of Predictors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 36, 269-280.

DFG - German Research Foundation