Running Head: The Effect of Foster Care on Childrens Development

The Effect of Foster Care on Childrens Emotional, Social Development, and Education
Derrick Daniels, Caroline Fletcher, and Claire Palermo-Re
Bridgewater College

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract
This paper explores the effects that foster care has on a childs emotional development,
brain development, social development, and education. Children who have a secure attachment
to their foster parent were found to have better outcomes than those who had a weaker
attachment. When children form this attachment early in their childhood, they are able to
socially interact with other children regardless of their background. A childs educational
attainment tends to improve once they are in a stable foster home. Overall, foster care homes
provide a safe, caring environment where children who were previously in a worse situation are
able to overcome these problems and have a better life.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

The Effect of Foster Care on Childrens Emotional, Social Development, and Education
Introduction
Many different aspects such as stability at home, resources such as shelter and food,
social interactions, and quality of life can impact the development of a child. From previous
research, it is clear that foster care can have a large impact on a child. This impact can range
from troubles in school to language acquisition (Stock & Fisher, 2006). In 2009, there were
542,000 children in foster care in the United States (Bruskas, 2009). That is a large number of
kids who are seeing the benefits of foster care. Requirements for becoming a foster parent differ
from state to state. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services [VDSS], in the state
of Virginia, there is no minimum income for an adult to apply to be a foster parent (2013). While
this means that anyone can apply, many questions for foster parents will likely be centered on if
the adult can financially support someone else in their family. In addition, it is not necessary for
there to be two married adults to apply. Single parents can be foster parents as well (VDSS,
2013). The Virginia Department of Social Services says Children who need foster families have
been removed from their birth family homes for reasons of neglect, abuse, abandonment, or other
issues endangering their health and/or safety (2013). These children have been taken away from
their parents for their own good. Often times they are very confused and do not always
understand why they are being taken away from their home.
Compared to being in an institution or in a home with kin, being placed in a foster family
can improve the life for these children (Font, 2014). Through our research we have found that
kids placed in a foster care home do better than kids who are in an institution or even kids who
are in the care of a relative. Research has also found that the age kids are when placed in foster

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

care can affect their education. The earlier a child is placed in foster care, the better these
children do on language tests (Windsor et al., 2011). This has also been proven true for the
reading scores of these children. This shows how beneficial foster care can be for these children
who end up in foster homes.
Readers will benefit from this study because they will see the importance of foster
homes. If people are unsure about the benefits of the foster care system this study will help show
how helpful they can be for a child in a troublesome situation. Taking a child out of a bad
situation and placing them in foster care can greatly benefit their lives and help improve their
emotional and brain development, educational and literacy outcomes, and social development.
This research is important because it will highlight the impact that becoming a foster family or
parent can have on the lives of these children.
Review of Literature
Emotional/Brain Development
One concern people have with foster care is they worry that it will affect the children's
emotional development. They worry that the children will not be able to bond with their
caregivers. However, infants that are placed in foster care still bonded with their caregivers
(Dozier, Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001). These babies knew that if they cried and needed
something, they could rely on their caregiver to provide for them. Research has also examined
how children in foster care compare to children who have been placed in institutions. In most
cases children in foster care were more emotionally developed than kids in institutions. One
study took kids who were institutionalized and randomly selected a group of them to be put into
a foster care home. Then they compared them to the kids who were randomly chosen to stay in

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

the institutions. They were also compared to kids who had never been in an institution. A study
of children placed into a foster care home indicated that foster children showed a more positive
reaction and more attention in the two episodes of a television program they were shown (Ghera
et al., 2009). The short time they spent in foster care had already positively affected them. The
kids were tested at 30 and 42 months. At the 42 month test, kids who were placed in foster care
paid better attention to emotion-eliciting tasks (Ghera et al., 2009). They did better than kids who
had never been in foster care and the kids who were institutionalized.
Children in foster care compared to children who are institutionalized have better brain
development. Institutionalized children have smaller brain volume (Nelson, Fox, & Zeanah,
2013). This may be due to various reasons. Children in institutions are surrounded by many
children and not as many adults. The amount of words they are exposed to is probably
significantly less than kids in a foster care which could be a reason their brain volume is smaller.
Kids in institutions also have more other emotional problems that kids in foster care do not have.
One study found that 62 percent of kids in institutions by the time they were 5 years old had
diagnoses that ranged from anxiety disorders, which was 44 percent, to attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, which was 32 percent (Nelson et al., 2013).
Researchers have also looked to see how time can affect a childs emotional
development. They determined that kids have about two years to receive intimate physical and
emotional contact or else their personal development will be hindered (Nelson et al., 2013). If
when they are upset they are not comforted or when they need something someone does not
provide for them, they will have trouble forming a secure attachment. Kids who have a secure
attachment know that when they need something their caregiver will be there for them. This
relates to attachment theory. According to attachment theory there are three types of attachment:

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

insecure/avoidant, secure and insecure/ambivalent (Steinberg, 2011). Secure attachment can

benefit the child later in life. Research has shown that kids with a secure attachment tend to be
more resilient when stressed or challenged and they appear to be more independent when they
enter preschool (Steinberg, 2011). The caregiver or parents attitude affects the attachment that
they form with the child (Dozier et al., 2001). If they are stressed or worry too much or are angry
all the time this will affect the bond they have with the child. The child needs to know they can
depend on the caregiver, especially a child in foster care who has already experienced many
changes. All these changes have affected the childs sense of security and their emotional
development
Older kids placed in foster care have a harder time with emotional development than
younger kids. Kids in foster care have a hard time forming a sense of emotional security because
in their life they have already faced so many threats to normative development (Frey, Cushing,
Freundlich & Brenner, 2007). They have a hard time feeling safe because their life has already
had so many challenges in it. Research has shown that a child who was mistreated will have a
hard time forming an attachment but, they can still bond with their foster care parents and feel
like they belong as well as feel secure (Frey et al., 2007). If the foster family makes them feel
safe and the child trusts them, they can still bond with them no matter what happened in the
childs past. They will have a harder time, but that does not mean that it is impossible. A child
moving from a negative family circumstance to a positive circumstance such as being placed in a
foster care has shown that kids will go from feeling insecure to feeling secure (Frey et al., 2007).
These kids go from having an insecure attachment with a caregiver to having a secure attachment
with their caregiver. Staying in a negative environment makes the child continue to feel insecure
and affects their emotional development. Once they are placed in a more positive environment

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

the child start feeling more secure and begin to grow in their emotional development. They begin
to have a secure attachment with their caregiver. One study has shown how long-term foster
caregivers can provide a secure base for kids who were mistreated and can help the kids feel like
they belong (Frey et al., 2007).
Education
Movement of Foster Children between Schools
Some research looks into the impact that moving frequently has on a childs education.
By moving so frequently, children in foster cares education is incredibly inconsistent (Bruskas,
2008). Between moving into new houses and adjusting to new families, these children are
constantly being forced to adapt to new situations and scenarios. These children are missing days
of school during moves and transferring to different schools all too often (Bruskas, 2008). This
can create a sense of stability for children in the foster care system. For many of them, their life
has been a series of changes and moving. By ensuring that they are given the opportunity to stay
at the same school, they can have a sense of normalcy in their lives. Their friends may be the
only constant in their lives during turmoil, so ensuring that they can remain in one place will be
reassuring for the children.
Language Development
Differences in language development can also be seen in children in the foster care
system. Typically, there seems to be a delay in these childrens acquisition and development of
language (Stock & Fisher, 2006). Compared to infants in institutions, infants in foster care had
significantly better language development outcomes (Windsor et al., 2011). When placed in a
more stable home by the age of 24 months, children and infants were more likely to use a variety

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

of words and phrases to communicate than those that were in an institution (Windsor et al.,
2011). By finding a home for these children in the foster care system, it can really benefit their
education in the future. Predictors at a young age such as the age of placement can impact their
education for the future. Fisher and Stock (2006) argued that little differences in early language
development of an infant can impact a childs education into the future. Research has shown
that language delays have negative long-term effects on social competence and mental health, as
well as IQ and academic achievement (Fisher & Stock, 2006, p.447). With a limited language
background, children in the foster care system tend to be less successful in the classroom.
According to a study, 35% to 73% of children in the foster care system exhibit signs of language
delays (Fisher & Stock, 2006). This statistic shows that it is an extremely prevalent problem, but
also one that is hard to measure accurately.
Legal Responses
The Education Initiative Project is attempting to help foster children in their problems
with school. Many studies have compared foster children to children not in foster care and their
educational differences. Based on the research, it is found that the children in foster care tend to
be falling behind with attendance, having discipline problems, not performing up to grade level
in academics, and an increased number placed with special education services (Zetlin, Weinberg,
& Shea, 2006). This initiatives goal is to help advocate for these students to get the help and
assistance they need while in school. A study done by this group found that the children that
received their services showed an increase in their educational outcomes than those that were not
served by someone from the group (Zetlin, et al., 2006). By providing services and focusing on
each child as an individual, the children in foster care showed an improvement in their

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

educational attainment that will hopefully continue to benefit them throughout their years in
school.
With so many difficulties in these childrens lives, there have been significant strides in
attempting to improve their experience with the education system. National and state
governments have passed laws that are keeping the best interests of these children in mind. There
is one federal law in particular that was passed in 2008 that really benefits children in the foster
care systems education. Congress passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing
Adoptions Act which was the first time anything like this was passed that looked into benefiting
the children (Chambers & Palmer, 2010). This law allows children to stay at the same school
after they enter or leave different foster care homes. In addition, if staying in the same home
would hurt the child more than benefit them, the student will be switched to another school right
away so that they do not miss too much instruction at their new school (Chambers & Palmer).
New York and Texas are two states that have passed statewide legislation to alleviate the
problems the children in foster care are experiencing in their schools. The state of Texas has
taken a stand against this problem and is focused on ensuring that these children do not
experience problems in their education. The Texas Blueprint suggests ways in which we can
improve the education for these children while in the foster care system (Chiamulera, 2015). A
child in foster care has a right to remain in the same school regardless of whether the child
enrolled in school before or after entering foster care and the child is entitled to remain in that
school through the highest grade offered even if the child exists foster care while enrolled
(Chiamulera, 2015). This is just one example of states that have identified the problem and are
attempting to make the educational system better for these children that are struggling with

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

10
stability in their lives. As more and more states realize they need to do something, it will improve
schooling for these children around the country.
Social Development
Foster care and the children involved all have social and behavioral effects from their
time in foster care. Many believe that foster children will not be able to incorporate themselves
into groups of other kids who havent experienced foster care. But through research, the social
struggles usually are a direct result from the childs caregivers rather than the foster care itself.
Children who experience homelessness, drug issues with parents or guardians, HIV/aids within
the guardians, and the high incarceration rate all are detrimental to a childs social development
(Bass, Shields, & Behrman, 2004). Children who had experience with any of the above or other
situations like those, showed signs of social and behavioral issues such as lashing out to authority
or separating themselves from other children. On the other hand, this research shows that if
children had foster care where the guardians or parents displayed a well-established and healthy
environment, children would have little to no complications at all. Another influence on social
and behavioral development is the state and area where the foster care is established. Each state
has their own idea and punishments on abuse and maltreatment (Bass et al., 2004). Different
foster parents and guardians from different areas can get away with certain mistreatments in
some states than others. This means that the children from the less strict states could experience
mistreatment from foster care and in turn develop social and behavioral issues.
Developing an early attachment with foster caregivers is crucial for social and behavioral
development (Dozier et al., 2001). Toddlers, who develop healthy and established attachments
with their foster caregivers, will be better developed in all social aspects than if the child had an

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

11

unorganized attachment with one or many caregivers. 66% of children who have been adopted
by 4 months of age, show secure attachment to their new guardians (Dozier et al., 2001). This is
because the children are able to develop an attachment with their new guardian at such an early
age. On the other hand only 37% of children showed secure attachments with their new guardian
after 8 months or more in a foster care system (Dozier et al., 2001). This shows that there is a
small window of opportunity to make sure the child will develop a secure attachment. With an
insecure attachment, the child will struggle to listen to authority and may lash out at other
children. A healthy and successful attachment will make sure the child has the best opportunity to
develop their social and behavioral skills.
Procedures/Methods
In order to determine what effect foster care has on a childs development, specific
questions were formed to ask the parents how they viewed their child. To begin with, the first
section asked for basic information about the child in the foster care system and their foster
family. Dozier, Windsor, Nelson, Ghera, Bruskas, and Font all used questions that gained insight
into the background of the foster care family. We wanted to know about the familys income and
the makeup of them (Dozier et al., 2001). Based on the number of siblings a child has in their
foster home, it could affect their ability to form relationships with others in social situations
(Ghera et al., 2009). We also asked if the child has been diagnosed with any behavioral,
attentional, or other disabilities that could affect their emotional development, social
development, or educational attainment. The questions that came from Ghera looked into if there
were any biological siblings for the foster child and if they lived together. Dozier researched the
adults and family life scenario that this foster child is experiencing.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

12
In the section on emotional and brain development, the main focus was on attachment.
We wanted to see how attached the child is to their primary caregiver and how they respond to
new situations that may come up (Bruskas, 2008). Attachment is extremely important for a child,
and based on when they enter the foster care system, they may have missed the sensitive period.
The primary caregiver will be able to give us their view on how the child is able to form
attachments with them and others (Bruskas, 2008). If the primary caregiver has had multiple
foster children, they can compare their experience with this child to previous experiences.
Overall, attachment is extremely important in determining the emotional development of a child
(Steinberg, 2011).
The second section is on social development. Children will interact with other children
and adults throughout their lives, and it is extremely important that these interactions are positive
and constructive. Interactions with authoritative figures will indicate a childs respect and ability
to follow instructions. These interactions occur mainly in the classroom, but can occur in
extracurricular activities or sports as well. Interacting with other children can also be seen in the
classroom and at extracurricular events. These interactions can help or hurt a childs ability to
form bonds and relationships with other children that could last the rest of their lives (Bruskas,
2008). Their relationships that are healthy will not have instances of aggression. Aggression can
be relational, physical, social, or verbal. The survey asks if the primary caregiver views their
foster child as aggressive, as well as if others in society view their child as having some
aggressive tendencies with others (Font, 2014).
The third section of the survey looks into the education of a child in the foster care
system. We wanted to know what the childs view on education was before entering their current
foster care home. In addition, we wanted to know how they view education now (Windsor et al.,

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

13
2011). Typically, the child has been in many different schools, so it is difficult to compare grades
from other schools; however, at the end of the survey, we asked the parent about their childs
grades and standardized test scores if they were available (Font, 2014). Finally, we asked the
parents if they believed the government was doing enough to protect the children in the foster
care system from the constant struggles associated with changing schools (Chiamulera, 2015).
Through the emotional development, social development, and educational information,
we hope to get an idea of what the childs life in their foster home is like, and how that is
impacting their development. We want to survey 2,000 parents who currently have custody of a
foster child between infant age and 18. We are expecting to get responses from about 1,500
parents. Our survey will focus on the foster care system in the United States of America, and we
want them from a wide range of ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and income levels in order to best
represent the population as a whole. It is a cross-sectional study. We will give the forms to
various foster care facilities in the United States to hand out to current foster parents who may
come into the building. We will pay them $25 for completing our survey.

Survey Instrument
Survey of Effectiveness of Foster Care
NAME:________________________________

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

14
This survey will give you a chance to tell us about your experience with foster care. Please take a
brief moment to respond to the items below.
Instructions: Primary caregiver, please answer the following questions to the best of your ability
in the right column based on your knowledge of your foster child and the foster care system.
Basic Information
How many children (including the current
one) have you had custody of through the
foster care system?
How many foster children are in your home
currently? What age are they?
How long have you had custody of this
child?
Do you know why your child is in foster
care?
If you know, how many different foster
care homes or group homes has this child
been in?
At what age did this child enter the foster
care system?
Does your child have biological siblings?
How many? How old?

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

15
If so, do they live with you as well?
What is the marital status of the adults in
the house?
What is the gender of the foster child?
What ethnicity is the foster child?
What is the ethnicity of the primary
caregivers?
Are you related to your foster child? If so,
how?
What is the average annual income for the
house?
What part of the country do you and your
family currently live in?
Do you have contact with your foster
childs biological parents? If yes, what is
the arrangement for how often your child
sees them?
Has your child ever been diagnosed with
any cognitive disabilities? If so, which
ones?
Has your child been diagnosed with any
attentional or behavioral problems? If so,
please list them and indicate how you are
treating them.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

16

Does your child have any long term health

conditions?
Does your child have any short term health
concerns?

Instructions: Primary caregiver, please indicate the extent to which you agree with each
statement below (in relation to your own experiences) by darkening the circle in the appropriate
column.
Emotional and Brain Development:
Disagre

Neutra

Agre

Strongly

Agree

4. The child has trouble trusting others.

5. The child is independent and able to

Strongly
Disagree

1. The child can see things from another

person or childs perspective.
2. When your child is upset, they come
to you for guidance and consoling.
3. The child is able to form friendships
that last more than three years.

make their own choices.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

17
6. When something goes wrong the

7. The child fits into our family well.

8. The child seems confident in

child is able to find a solution.

himself/herself.
9. The child appears comfortable in
your home.
10. Do you include your child in making
family decisions?
Social Development
11. My child interacts well with other
children around him/her.
12. My child responds well to
authoritative figures including teachers,
parents, etc.
13. My child has many friends who
he/she interacts with at home, school,
etc.
14. My child spends more than three
hours straight alone a day.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

18
15. My child makes new friends easily.

16. My child communicates with me

19. Others view my child as aggressive.

20. Have you seen fewer behavioral

Strongly

Disagre

Neutra

Agre

Strongly

Disagree

Agree

easily and often.

17. I frequently ask my child how they
are doing.
18. My child handles difficult situations
and conflicts without violence.

problems since you have gained custody

of your foster child?

Education

21. Previously, education was the most

important aspect of the childs life.
22. Now, education is the most important
aspect of their life.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

19
23. Before I received custody of my

child, they were an above average

student.
24. Before I received custody of my
child, they were a below average
student.
25. My childs grades have improved
since they have been in my custody.
26. My child had poor language skills
before I received custody.
27. It is important that children stay at
the same school for more than a year or
two.
28. The government should show more
concern with children in the foster care
systems education.

Additional Education Questions:

What were your childs most recent grades

Science:

on their report card (if available)?

Social Studies:
English:
Math:

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

20
Other comments:

What were the results of your childs most

recent standardized test (if available)?
What percentile do they fall in based on
their standardized tests scores (if available)?
How many hours a week does your child
spend on homework?
How many hours week does your child
spend watching television?
Does your child have a television in their
room? If so, at what age was it placed in
their room?
How many hours a week does your child
spend playing video games?
Does your child have their own cell phone?
How much time do you think they use it per
week?

Discussion/Implications for Future Research

This research is important for social workers, parents, and teachers. While many people
may focus on one group needing this research more, it is vital that each group knows the impact
that they may have on a child while they are interacting with them. Children in the foster care

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

21
system will rely on adults throughout their life, and especially at a young age, it is important that
the adults have a positive relationship with them.
Social workers need to be able to examine a child in foster care and see if the foster care
is having a positive effect on their life. Many children placed in a foster care have already
undergone a traumatic experience and so their foster home should be helping them overcome
this, not harming them even more. Social workers need to look at the attachment the child has to
their primary caregiver and see whether it is secure or not. A secure attachment will help the
child throughout their life. By being aware of how beneficial a secure attachment is for a child, a
social worker can ensure that each foster care child is placed in a home that will allow them to
grow throughout their life. If the home they are placed in is extremely advantageous for the
childs development, then hopefully the child will be able to stay there longer. The longer a foster
child stays in a positive home, the more likely they are to have success in the rest of their life.
Foster care parents also need to know how they can help their child. They need to know
the background and why the child is in foster care. The reason the child is in foster care is going
to affect the way the child will act in certain situations. Parents need to know the childs medical
information. They also need to be aware of previous education. Parents also need to be aware of
the childs attachment to either previous guardians or caretakers. This will help as older children
in foster care may have a more difficult time trusting new guardians through foster care. Parents
also need to be aware of how their foster care child reacts to adversity. This will help the parent
build up good behavioral reactions for the foster child to adverse situations. Parents need to be
aware of the difficulties that children in the foster care system may face as they learn to navigate
their life. Their lives are usually different from the typical childhood, and learning how to adjust
to their constantly changing childhood is something that a parent can assist with. Allowing the

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

22
child to adjust to new situations at their own pace with your support can really benefit the child
in the long run.
Teachers of a child in the foster care system need to be aware that the child may have
trouble forming bonds with others in the class. Children who have experienced a wide range of
traumatic experiences may be present in their class. As a teacher, identifying these children early
on in the year can be helpful. Ensuring that the child feels a part of the class and that they can
form friendships will be essential to their success in the classroom. These students need to feel
safe in their classroom environment, and helping them early in the year will really pay off in the
end. They may also have trouble respecting and listening to authority figures depending on their
background. Teachers need to know what to expect and have an idea of how the child might act.
That way they will not be surprised when anything happens and will know a potential way to
handle the situation. Teachers also need to know how the child has done previously in school if
they are new to their school. That way they will know if they are on track, behind or ahead and
will know how to plan to best help the child succeed in school.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

23

References
Almas, A. N., Degnan, K. A., Walker, O. L., Radulescu, A., Nelson, C. A., Zeanah, C. H., & Fox,
N. A. (2015). The Effects of Early Institutionalization and Foster Care Intervention on
Children's Social Behaviors at the Age of Eight. Social Development,24(2), 225-239.
doi:10.1111/sode.12089
Bass, S., Shields, M., & Behrman, R. (2004). Children, Families, and Foster Care: Analysis and
Recommendations. The Future of Children, 14(1), 4-29. Retrieved September 26, 2015,
from JSTOR.
Bruskas, D. (2008). Children in Foster Care: A Vulnerable Population at Risk. Journal Of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing,21(2), 70-77. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6171.2008.00134.x
Chambers, C., & Palmer, E. (2010). Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care. Touro Law
Review, 26(1). 1103-1130.
Chiamulera, C. (2015). The Texas Blueprint -- A Model for Improving School Experiences for
Children in Foster Care. Child Law Practice, 34(8), 113-121.
Dozier, M., Stovall, K., Albus, K., & Bates, B. (2001). Attachments for Infants in Foster Care:
The Role of Caregiver State of Mind. Child Development, 72(5), 1467-1477.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

24
Font, S. A. (2014). Kinship and Nonrelative Foster Care: The Effect of Placement Type on Child
Well-Being. Child Development,85(5), 2074-2090. doi:10.1111/cdev.12241
Foster Care (FC). (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from
http://www.dss.virginia.gov/family/fc
Frey, L., Crushing, G., Freudlich, M., & Brenner, E. (2007). Achieving Permanency for Youth in
Foster Care: Assessing and Strengthening Emotional Security. Child & Family Social
Work, 13(2). 218-226.
Garwood, M. M., & Williams, S. C. (2015). Differing Effects of Family Finding Service on
Permanency and Family Connectedness for Children New to Versus Lingering in the
Foster Care System. Journal Of Public Child Welfare, 9(2), 115-133.
doi:10.1080/15548732.2015.1008619
Ghera, M. M., Marshall, P. J., Fox, N. A., Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C. A., Smyke, A. T., & Guthrie,
D. (2009). The effects of foster care intervention on socially deprived institutionalized
childrens attention and positive affect: results from the BEIP study. Journal Of Child
Psychology & Psychiatry, 50(3), 246-253. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01954.x
Nelson Iii, C. A., Fox, N. A., & Zeanah, J. H. (2013). Anguish of the Abandoned Child. Scientific
American, 308(4), 62-67.
Steinburg, L., Lowe Vandell, D., & Bornstein, M. H. (2011). Development: Infancy Through
Adolescence. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

THE EFFECT OF FOSTER CARE ON CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT

25
Stock, C. D., & Fisher, P. A. (2006). Language Delays Among Foster Children: Implications for
Policy and Practice. Child Welfare,85(3), 445-461.
Windsor, J., Benigno, J. P., Wing, C. A., Carroll, P. J., Koga, S. F., Nelson, C. A., & ... Zeanah, C.
H. (2011). Effect of Foster Care on Young Children's Language Learning. Child
Development, 82(4), 1040-1046. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01604.x
Zetlin, A. G., Weinberg, L. A., & Shea, N. M. (2006). Improving Educational Prospects for Youth
in Foster Care: The Education Liaison Model. Intervention in School & Clinic, 41(5),
267-272.