Author : Deanna M. Ferrentino
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781339219806
Total Pages : 430 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (198 download)
Book Synopsis Understanding Disrupted Attachments and Building Secure Relationships with Children by : Deanna M. Ferrentino
Download or read book Understanding Disrupted Attachments and Building Secure Relationships with Children written by Deanna M. Ferrentino and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than half a million children and adolescents reside in foster care within the United States (NDACAN, 2010). Many of these children have experienced abuse or neglect, which may predispose them to various mental health issues (Harden, 2004). The mental health needs of children and adolescents in foster care are significantly greater than children not in foster care (Austin, 2004). A significant mental health concern for those in care includes attachment-related difficulties. Foster care children are at a greater risk for the development of insecure attachments (Harden, 2004). A great deal of research supports that insecure attachments can be associated with negative, problematic outcomes (Lindhiem & Dozier, 2007). Furthermore, research demonstrates that foster parents are often not properly trained to manage the issues that children with attachment-related difficulties present with, resulting in lower foster parent satisfaction levels and multiple failed placements (Murray, Tarren-Sweeney, & Frances, 2010). Based on the literature, it is this author's belief that attachment-related difficulties in foster care children are an issue of significant importance. Given that many foster parent's report not being properly trained in managing the challenging social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties of a child with attachment-related issues, this increases stress and their ability to provide sensitive, empathic parenting. This in turn, negatively impacts the child and can further perpetuate attachment-difficulties (Dozier, 2005). Having the knowledge of how attachment-related difficulties can impact children provides a foundation for understanding and an opportunity for foster parents to modify their parenting skills to effectively meet the needs of these children. The developed manual is a psychoeducational training program designed to be implemented as a pre-service training for foster parents prior to obtaining their licensure. This six-hour training was developed by utilizing research on attachment theory and the role of attachment difficulties in foster care children, as well as researching effective interventions for parents to increase attachment security. This training program consists of a multi-modal format include role plays, questionnaires, group discussions, and lecture to educate foster parents on the role of attachment in foster children's difficulties with the goal of increasing their understanding of the foster child's experience. The training also consists of strategies the foster parent can utilize to effectively parent foster children experiencing attachment-related difficulties. This training also emphasizes the importance of ongoing support, the benefits of participation in a foster care support group, and provides additional foster parent resources. The implications and limitations of this training are discussed.