ABSTRACT

The adoption of children involved in the child welfare system is viewed as a favorable outcome when family reconstitution is impossible, partially due to the relationship security afforded by long-term placement permanence. Recognition of the importance of secure caregiver-child relationships has informed the development of caregiving-oriented attachment-focused services, such as those provided by the Therapeutic Family Care Program (TFCP). The present study examines the trajectories of adopted children (n = 71) between 3.33 and 13.70 years of age at first assessment (M = 7.65, SD = 2.53) involved with TFCP. Children were assessed by their caregivers on a semiannual basis using the Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC) and the ACC+, with children receiving up to 9 assessments (n = 201, M = 2.57, SD = 1.83). We conducted growth curve analyses for children’s total clinical scores, self-esteem, adaptive functioning, and attachment-specific clinical domains. Results suggest that children start with clinically significant psychopathology, with older children and females having more psychosocial and attachment-related difficulties initially. Males’ psychosocial functioning was stable over time, whereas females improved significantly in all domains. We discuss implications for mental health services within child welfare and future directions for research.

摘要

当家庭重组不可能时，收养参与儿童福利系统的儿童被视为一个有利的结果，部分原因是长期安置所提供的关系安全。对安全的照顾者-儿童关系的重要性的认识为开发以照顾为导向的依恋为中心的服务提供了信息，例如治疗性家庭护理计划 (TFCP) 提供的服务。本研究在首次评估（M = 7.65，SD = 2.53) 参与 TFCP。看护人每半年使用儿童评估清单 (ACC) 和 ACC+ 对儿童进行一次评估，儿童最多接受 9 次评估（n = 201，M = 2.57，SD = 1.83)。我们对儿童的总临床得分、自尊、适应功能和依恋特定的临床领域进行了生长曲线分析。结果表明，儿童从临床上显着的精神病理学开始，年龄较大的儿童和女性最初有更多的心理社会和依恋相关的困难。男性的心理社会功能随着时间的推移保持稳定，而女性在所有领域都有显着改善。我们讨论了儿童福利和未来研究方向对心理健康服务的影响。