Parenting interventions support psychosocial adjustment of children in foster and adoptive families

According to a recent review and analysis of published studies, attachment-based parenting interventions—which seek to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship—increase the psychosocial adjustment of children in foster and adoptive families. Results also suggested that attachment-based interventions increase positive parenting behaviors.

The review in Campbell Systematic Reviews included studies from the United States, The Netherlands, the UK, Italy, and Belgium and were published between 1977 and 2020.

"Attachment-based parenting interventions show very promising effects within both foster and adoptive families, but we need more evidence to know if the effects of these interventions are sustainable over time and if the interventions reduce the risk of a placement breakdown," said co-author Nina Thorup Dalgaard, of the Danish knowledge-providing organization VIVE.