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  • A qualitative evaluation of the Reflective Fostering Programme - examining foster and kinship carers’ experiences, practical application, and perceived impact

    This study explored foster and kinship carers’ experiences of the Reflective Fostering Programme. Most found it improved relationships and stress management, though some were unsure of its relevance, suggesting a need for better tailoring.

    Authors: Katangwe-Chigamba, T., Murdoch, J., Irvine, K. et al.

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  • How inclusive and representative is research on foster caring in the UK? Findings from a scoping review

    This review found foster care research often underrepresents groups such as kinship and non-White carers and rarely addresses inclusivity, calling for more representative, inclusive research practices.

    Authors: Stemp, R., Izzidien, S., Sharma, S. et al.

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  • The lived experience of co-production: Reflective accounts from the InCLUDE project

    This paper shares reflections from four researchers in a co-produced foster care study, highlighting the value of safe, inclusive research spaces and offering practical recommendations for future co-production projects.

    Authors: Izzidien, S., Stemp, R., Akram et al.

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  • Wellbeing package for foster carers and teachers of looked-after children aged 8 to 11 years: the STrAWB feasibility RCT

    This study tested a new programme to support the mental health of children in care by training foster carers and teachers to work together. While the approach was acceptable to participants, the trial was not feasible due to low recruitment and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Authors: Luke N., Banerjee R, Dunn V, Douglas N. et al.

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  • Exploring looked-after adolescents’ reports of their dissociative experiences

    This study examines the relationship between levels of dissociation, several pre-placement factors and other background variables to facilitate the understanding of the high prevalence of dissociation in adolescents living in care.

    Authors: Anderson, K., Hillman, S., Zhong, W., et al.

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  • Exploring attachment representations and traumatic re-enactment in foster children

    This study assessed attachment representations in 28 Danish foster children (ages 4–10) using the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP). Participants were enrolled in a trial comparing Mentalization-Based Family Therapy (MBT) to Care as Usual (CAU).

    Authors: Dalgaard, N. T., Reich, J. M., Jensen, J. K., et al.

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  • Childhood and adolescence’s predictors of parenting stress in adoptive mothers of early and late placed children

    This longitudinal study examined parenting stress and its predictors in 51 mothers of early- and late-placed adoptees, from childhood to adolescence.

    Authors: Lajmi, N., Hillman, S., Steele, M., et al.

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  • Sibling co-placement as a protective factor: A mixed method study on the impact of sibling placement on adolescent adoptees’ emotional and behavioral development

    This mixed-method study examined how being separated or adopted with siblings affects adolescent adoptees’ emotional, behavioural, and conflict regulation outcomes.

    Authors: Hillman, S., Lajmi, N., Steele, M., et al.

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  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of the type and prevalence of mental health disorders and symptoms among children living in residential care

    This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to establish the type and prevalence of mental health disorders and symptoms among children in residential care. The findings provide evidence that the prevalence of mental health disorders and symptoms are particularly high among children in residential care.

    Authors: Westlake, M.F., Hillman, S., Dykiert, D., et al.

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