Foster Parents’ Parenting and the Social-Emotional Development and Adaptive Functioning of Children in Foster Care: A PRISMA-Guided Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Children in foster care (CFC) are at increased risk for negative developmental outcomes. Given the potential influence of foster parents’ parenting on the development of CFC, this literature review and meta-analysis provide an initial overview of how parenting factors in foster families relate to CFC’s developmental outcomes. We aimed to explore (1) whether foster parents’ parenting conceptualizations are related differently to various CFC developmental outcome variables and (2) how characteristics of foster parents and CFC moderate these associations. Following the recommendations of the PRISMA statement, we searched four databases in 2017 (with an update in May 2020). Forty-three primary studies were coded manually. The interrater agreement was 92.1%. Parenting variables were specified as parenting behavior, style, and goals and were distinguished further into functional and dysfunctional parenting. CFC development was divided into adaptive (including cognitive) development and maladaptive development. Meta-analyses could be performed for foster parenting behavior and developmental outcomes, as well as for functional parenting goals and maladaptive socioemotional outcomes in CFC. Associations between functional parenting behavior and adaptive child development were positive and negative for maladaptive child development, respectively. For dysfunctional, parenting effects were in the opposite direction. All effects were small to moderate. Similar results were found descriptively in the associations of parenting style and child developmental outcomes. We found similar effect sizes and directions of the associations between parenting behavior in foster families and the child’s developmental outcomes as those previously reported for biological families. These findings provide strong support for the significant role of parenting in foster families regarding children’s development in foster care.

Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting and Child Behaviour Problems and the Moderating Effect of Child Callous Unemotional Traits in Foster and Biological Families

“…Vanderfaeillie et al [17] showed in their longitudinal study that problem behaviours in CFC were significantly associated with the use of negative parenting in foster mothers. Moreover, Chodura et al [18] found in their meta-analysis similar associations between parenting and child development in foster families, as had been previously found in biological families; however, most of the studies (34 out of 43) were cross-sectional. Additionally, Orme and Buehler [7] concluded that approximately 15 percent of foster parents manifest potentially poor or troubled parenting as reported by youth welfare workers (however, of note is that comparable studies in biological families are missing).…”

A Systematic Review on Foster Parents’ Psychological Adjustment and Parenting Style—An Evaluation of Foster Parents and Foster Children Variables

“…While parental practices are the specific behaviors and actions that parents enact when interacting with their children (e.g., helping them do their homework, asking them about their hobbies, etc. ), parenting style regards parents' overall attitude and behavior, which defines the emotional climate in which they raise their children [41][42][43]. Different parenting styles have been defined, with some regarded as less adaptive than others [41][42][43][44]: The authoritative parenting style is considered as the most adaptive and is characterized by clear boundaries and limits set for children by their parents, who nonetheless also display high sensitivity and emotional warmth; differently, the permissive parenting style, although also characterized by high sensitivity and warmth, foresees an indulgent parental behavior and overall lack of discipline, which renders it maladaptive.…”

“…), parenting style regards parents' overall attitude and behavior, which defines the emotional climate in which they raise their children [41][42][43]. Different parenting styles have been defined, with some regarded as less adaptive than others [41][42][43][44]: The authoritative parenting style is considered as the most adaptive and is characterized by clear boundaries and limits set for children by their parents, who nonetheless also display high sensitivity and emotional warmth; differently, the permissive parenting style, although also characterized by high sensitivity and warmth, foresees an indulgent parental behavior and overall lack of discipline, which renders it maladaptive. Further maladaptive parenting styles are the authoritarian and neglectful styles: The former is characterized by strict discipline and high demands but low levels of sensitivity and emotional support, whereas the latter is characteristic of parents who are neither emotionally involved nor set rules and demand discipline from children [41][42][43][44].…”

“…Different parenting styles have been defined, with some regarded as less adaptive than others [41][42][43][44]: The authoritative parenting style is considered as the most adaptive and is characterized by clear boundaries and limits set for children by their parents, who nonetheless also display high sensitivity and emotional warmth; differently, the permissive parenting style, although also characterized by high sensitivity and warmth, foresees an indulgent parental behavior and overall lack of discipline, which renders it maladaptive. Further maladaptive parenting styles are the authoritarian and neglectful styles: The former is characterized by strict discipline and high demands but low levels of sensitivity and emotional support, whereas the latter is characteristic of parents who are neither emotionally involved nor set rules and demand discipline from children [41][42][43][44]. Bearing in mind the higher prevalence of psychosocial disturbances of foster children [23,29,45], research studies highlighted how more unfavorable parenting, characterized by harsh or inconsistent punishment and negative control, criticism and rejection, is associated with children's emotional and behavioral problems [38,39].…”

Risikofaktoren und ihre Bedeutung für den Entwicklungsverlauf von Kindern in Pflegeverhältnissen

“…Sollte sich z. B. auch bei längerer Beobachtungszeit ein ähnliches Ergebnis ergeben, hieße dies wohl für die Interventionsforschung, dass KiP keinen besonderen Zuschnitt von wirksamen Programmen zur Reduktion von Verhaltens-und Beziehungsproblemen brauchen, sondern auf dieselben Maßnahmen zurückgegriffen werden könnten, die sich aus der bisherigen entwicklungspsychopathologischen Forschung ableiten lassen (s. auch Chodura, Lohaus, Symanzik, Heinrichs & Konrad, 2021).…”