Abstract
Children suffering from severe social and emotional deprivation show substantial deficits in the area of mental development. It is supposed that children in foster care or institutional care may be exposed to show long-time changes in development.
We have conducted an extensive study (n=360) monitoring mental development in children in foster care - P (n=120), in institutional care - D (n=120) and in functional biological families -B (n=120). We have evaluated the stage of cognitive and emotional development.
The results of the presented study showed that children in institutional and foster care show significant delays in mental development (p<0.01). Delayed psychomotorical development is documented in children in institutional but also in foster care.