title: Practitioner review: Children in foster care--vulnerabilities and evidence-based interventions that promote resilience processes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of children are placed in foster care (i.e., a kin or nonkin family home other than the biological parent) due to experiences of physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse, and/or neglect. Children in foster care are at increased risk for a host of negative outcomes encompassing emotional, behavioral, neurobiological, and social realms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Areas of risk and vulnerability among foster children are described, including emotional and behavioral deficits, impaired neurobiological development, and social relationship deficits. Evidence suggesting the significance of family placement changes and prenatal exposure to substances as contributing mechanisms is presented. Based on a systematic search of the PsycINFO database (to March 2012), eight efficacious evidence-based interventions for foster families are summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the development of evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes for foster children has lagged behind the delivery of interventions in other service sectors (e.g., mental health and educational sectors), several interventions across childhood and adolescence offer promise. Service system constraints offer both challenges and opportunities for more routine implementation of evidence-based interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the increased likelihood of poor outcomes for foster children, increased efforts to understand the pathways to vulnerability and to implement interventions shown to be effective in remediating risks and improving outcomes for this population are indicated. Evaluation of efficacious interventions in countries outside of the United States is also needed.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR 97401, USA. lesliel@oslc.org
authors.forename: Leslie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Leve
authors.forename: Gordon T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Harold
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Landsverk
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vostanis
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008605:Mental Health Services; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*