Promoting attachment in foster parents: what we can learn from the experience of parents of premature infants

Abstract

It is advantageous for children in foster care to have caregivers who are strongly attached to them. However, foster parents may have difficulty attaching to the children placed in their care because they fear the grief that they will feel if a child is removed. The parents of premature babies are another group who may face difficulty attaching to their children owing to the fear of loss. Research has found that parent–premature infant attachment can be assisted via the promotion of close proximity and nurturing touch, aiding parents to interpret their child’s cues and understand their needs, and through providing caregiving. These findings may be applied to foster parenting and provide guidance in the methods by which foster parent-to-child attachment can be promoted. While foster parents who attach to their foster children will grieve if children leave their care, the careful facilitation of moves, providing feedback on children’s well-being and offering support through the grieving process will assist them to retain an ability to attach to subsequent foster children and to continue fostering.