Attachment Handbook For Foster Care And Adoption

Attachment is at the heart of family life and at the heart of foster care and adoption. Attachment theory and research provide a vital developmental framework for making sense of the behaviour and relationship strengths and difficulties that children bring from their complex backgrounds. This authoritative book - now in its second edition - provides an accessible account of core attachment concepts and the Secure Base model. It traces the pathways of secure and insecure patterns from birth to adulthood, exploring the impact of past experiences of abuse, neglect and separation on children's behaviour in foster and adoptive families. It then explains the Secure Base dimensions of parenting that are associated with helping children to feel more secure and to fulfil their potential in the family and in the community. Finally, it tackles the key role which 'keeping attachment in mind' can play in family placement practice, and offers useful advice to carers on how they can provide a secure base.