Youth in foster care face a unique and complex dilemma in juggling relationships with both biological parents and foster caregivers. This study uses a national sample of adolescents in foster care to explore how youths’ perceptions of relationships with both biological parents and foster caregivers influence youths’ emotional and behavioral well-being while in placement. Importantly, this study explores the moderating role of kinship care (i.e., vs. non-kinship foster care) in these associations. Findings showed youth who reported better relationships with foster caregivers were buffered—to varying degrees—against the internalizing-related consequences of poorer perceptions of relationships/interactions with biological mothers. For youth in kinship care specifically, positive perceptions of relationships with foster caregivers almost completely protected youth against internalizing-related consequences of youth perceptions of relationships with biological mothers. In contrast, for all other youth—i.e., those in kinship care who perceived poorer caregiver relationships and for all youth in non-kinship care—youth perceptions of their relationships with biological mothers were significantly associated with internalizing behaviors. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

寄养的青少年在处理与亲生父母和寄养人的关系时面临着一个独特而复杂的困境。本研究使用全国寄养青少年样本来探索青少年对与亲生父母和寄养照顾者关系的看法如何影响青少年在安置期间的情绪和行为健康。重要的是，本研究探讨了亲属关系照顾（即与非亲属关系寄养）在这些关联中的调节作用。调查结果显示，报告与寄养照顾者关系更好的年轻人在不同程度上受到了缓冲，以应对与生母的关系/互动观念较差的内化相关后果。特别是对于亲属照顾的青年，对与寄养者关系的积极看法几乎完全保护了青年免受青年对与亲生母亲关系看法的内化相关后果。相比之下，对于所有其他青年——即那些认为照顾者关系较差的亲属照顾者和所有非亲属照顾者——青年对他们与亲生母亲关系的看法与内化行为显着相关。讨论了对未来研究和实践的影响。那些认为照顾者关系较差的亲属照顾者和所有接受非亲属照顾的年轻人——年轻人对他们与生母关系的看法与内化行为显着相关。讨论了对未来研究和实践的影响。那些认为照顾者关系较差的亲属照顾者和所有接受非亲属照顾的年轻人——年轻人对他们与生母关系的看法与内化行为显着相关。讨论了对未来研究和实践的影响。