Emotional and Behavioral Impact of Biological Parents Contact with their Foster Care Children: A cross-sectional study of Mental Health Outcomes
I. Farmakopoulou, L. Kyriakou, M. TheodoratouIntroduction
Foster care in Greece provides temporary protection and stability for children separated from their biological families. Since Law 4538/2018 , maintaining parental contact has become a legal and therapeutic priority, yet its psychological effects remain insufficiently explored.
Objectives
To investigate the frequency, nature, and psychological consequences of contact between foster children and their biological parents, and to evaluate its influence on the children’s emotional well-being and behavior .
Methods
A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 30 foster families and 13 social workers from Child Protection Units in Attica. Data were collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a self-designed questionnaire . Analysis employed IBM SPSS 24 , descriptive statistics, and the Mann–Whitney U test .
Results
Children were mainly 3–8 years old (70%) , with monthly supervised face-to-face contact (60%) , usually with mothers (58%). Following visits, 63% of foster parents reported anxiety , 57% mood changes, and 48% sleep or regressive behaviors. Although 56.7% rated the child’s overall emotional health as good, social workers tended to report lower adjustment scores.
Conclusions
Supervised and psychologically supported contact is essential to foster stability and resilience in children under Greek foster care.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared