Fostering security? A meta-analysis of attachment in adopted children

• Published in: Children and youth services review Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 410 - 421
• Main Authors: van den Dries, Linda, Juffer, Femmie, van IJzendoorn, Marinus H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2009; Elsevier
• Series: Children and Youth Services Review
• Subjects: Adopted children; Adoption; Attachment; Children; Foster Care; Foster children; Institutional care; Institutions; Meta-analysis; Meta-analysis Adoption Attachment Parent-child relationships Institutional care Foster care; Parent Child Relations; Parent–child relationships; Risk assessment; Selfreport; Institutional care; Attachment; Parent–child relationships; Foster care; Adoption; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.09.008

Adopted children are hypothesized to be at risk of insecure attachment relationships because of their background of institutional care, maltreatment and neglect. We conducted two series of meta-analyses, one using only observational assessments of attachment and one using both observational and self-report assessments. Observational assessments showed that children who were adopted before 12 months of age were as securely attached as their non-adopted peers, whereas children adopted after their first birthday showed less attachment security than non-adopted children ( d = 0.80, CI = 0.49–1.12). Regarding the overall effect for attachment security, adoptees were comparable to foster children. Adopted children showed more disorganized attachments compared to their non-adopted peers (trimmed d = 0.36, CI = 0.04–0.68), but again were comparable to foster children (trimmed d = 0.35, CI = 0.02–0.67). Compared to institutionalized children, adoptees were less often disorganized attached. When self-report measures of attachment were included no difference was found between adoptees and their non-adopted counterparts (trimmed d = 0.12, CI = − 0.02–0.26, 39 studies, N = 2912 adopted children). Compared to institutionalized children, (early) adoption proves to be an effective intervention in the domain of attachment.