Cultural matching factors, child factors, and fostering factors associated with successful foster placement:An explorative study into the perspectives of unaccompanied refugee children, their foster carers and guardians

This paper presents findings from the baseline measurement of a longitudinal Dutch study focusing on cultural matching, child and fostering factors associated with the success of foster placements of unaccompanied refugee children. We assessed the placement from the perspectives of the children, their foster carers and their guardians. The children (n = 39) and their carers (n = 37) were visited at their homes, where they completed several questionnaires (e.g., SDQ, BIC, SLE, RATS, AHIMSA and questionnaires measuring bio/demographic variables, placement success and characteristics of the placement, including cultural characteristics). The guardians (n = 37) were asked to complete a digital questionnaire. The success of the placement was analysed using logistic regression models. The quality of the relationship between child and foster carer(s) exhibited an almost one-to-one relationship with ‘placement success’, for both the child model and the foster carer model. This means that one could also investigate the quality of the relationship between the child and carer to determine placement success. The regression analyses showed that, for children, cultural similarity between a child and their carers was of great importance. However, for foster carers and guardians, cultural similarity was less related to placement success. In addition, a higher score on prosocial behaviour by the child (SDQ self-report) was associated with more positive outcomes regarding placement success (child model). For foster carers, children’s externalizing behaviour (SDQ) was negatively correlated with the success of the placement (foster carer model). For guardians, a higher score on the quality of the caregiving environment (BIC-G) was associated with placement success (guardian model). Implications for research and practice are also discussed

‘It can never be as perfect as home’:An explorative study into the fostering experiences of unaccompanied refugee children, their foster carers and social workers

Research shows that highly supportive living arrangements, such as foster care, can provide an environment that meets the needs of unaccompanied children (i.e. fewer internalizing problems, higher quality of the child-rearing environment). However, there is limited research into the experiences of these children in (cultural) foster care. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of former unaccompanied refugee children and unaccompanied refugee children, their carers and social workers with regard to the foster placement. This cross-sectional qualitative study combined semi-structured interviews with questionnaires. In general, participants were satisfied with the foster placement. However, some children also reported negative experiences during their foster placement or felt somewhat uncomfortable, but they still rated the placement as successful. Children and carers valued the cultural similarity of the foster placement. Former unaccompanied children appreciated cultural similarity less. Overall, participants valued similarity of language the most. Several children did not feel at home in their foster placement. In most foster families, the pedagogical climate offered to children seemed adequate

Foster care for unaccompanied refugee children in the Netherlands; what about the placement success?

There is hardly any knowledge on the outcomes of foster placements of unaccompanied refugee children. Especially, knowledge on the stability of foster placements for unaccompanied refugee children is lacking. Because placements in regular foster care change and develop over time, including the occurrence of placement breakdowns, the need for a study focusing on the stability of foster placements for unaccompanied refugee children is indicated. This study explores the association between the success of foster placements for unaccompanied refugee children and cultural, child and fostering factors, and examines the stability of these factors over time

Sub-groups (profiles) of individuals experiencing post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: Some people experience post-traumatic growth (PTG), entailing positive changes such as a greater appreciation of life following traumatic events. We examined PTG in the context of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, notably working from home and social distancing. We aimed to assess whether distinct sub-groups (profiles) of individuals experiencing PTG could be identified by how they appraised and coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: For this cross-sectional study, we used convenience sampling. In total, 951 participants from the general population completed an online questionnaire with items focusing on primary and secondary appraisal, positive reappraisal, rumination, and coping flexibility. For the latent profile analysis, we selected a sample of 392 individuals who had experienced moderate degrees of pandemic-related PTG, reporting at least two of the 10 positive changes in the PTG Inventory-Short Form. Results: We identified two distinct profiles among people experiencing PTG. The first was characterised by low levels of primary appraisal and stressfulness and higher levels of secondary appraisal (e.g., resilient group), increased coping flexibility and greater use of positive reappraisal. The second was characterised by higher levels of stressfulness and primary appraisal (e.g., stressed group) and greater use of rumination. Conclusion: The two sub-groups evidently appraised and coped with the COVID-19 pandemic differently. Therefore, future research should account for these different profiles of people experiencing PTG