Study on Foster Families
funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research [BMBF]
Prof. Dr Nina Heinrichs, Dr Ann-Katrin Job, Daniela Ehrenberg (Dipl.-Psych.)
Longitudinal effects of child abuse under different conditions of treatment
Childhood trauma, which often occurs in children placed in a foster family, has a lifelong impact on the physical and mental health of those affected. In a joint project carried out at the universities of Bielefeld and Braunschweig and the Uniklinikum Aachen, the development of foster children with experiences of neglect and abuse will be investigated looking at different support conditions over a period of 2.5 years.
Aims of the study
- Investigate which children benefit from placement in a foster family, how the children develop in the foster families and which interventions are particularly effective for positive development.
- A longitudinal study of the development of foster children after they have been placed in a foster family (focus at the University of Bielefeld),
- neurobiological stress indicators in foster children (e.g. the functioning of the immune system, emotional regulation and stress reactions; focus at the Uniklinikum Aachen) and
- the effects of a scientifically based intervention for foster parents to promote the development of foster children will be analysed (focus of the Technical University of Braunschweig).
Inclusion criteria
- Included are families with foster children aged 2 to 7 years who have been placed in foster care due to experiences of neglect or abuse and who have not lived in the foster family for more than 18 months.
- Since we also need a comparison group, children aged 2 to 7 years who are growing up with their biological parents are also included.
