Pre-Placement Risk and Longitudinal Cognitive Development for Children Adopted from Foster Care

By Jill Waterman, Erum Nadeem, Emilie Paczkowski, Jared Cory Foster, Justin A. Lavner, Thomas Belin, Jeanne Miranda
Published in Child Welfare, 92(4), 9-30.

ABSTRACT
This study examined the trajectory of cognitive development over the first five years of adoptive placement among children adopted from foster care and how pre-adoption risk factors relate to this development. Overall, children’s cognitive scores increased significantly, with the most rapid improvement occurring in the first year post-placement. By five years post-placement, children’s mean cognitive and achievement scores were in the average range. Adoption is a positive intervention for children’s cognitive development.

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