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Attachment is a topic mentioned often in foster care, but is there a basic understanding of attachment when the word is used? And have you considered why it’s important?

Attachment isn’t just a feeling. It’s the actions parents take that enable a child to understand the world around them. Attachment is created through a child’s experiences, and having a secure, healthy attachment teaches a child that they are loved, that people can be trusted, and that the world makes sense.

Children form attachments through a repeated cycle of “attachment behaviors” or “attachment transactions,” during which there is a continuing process of seeking and maintaining a certain level of proximity to another specified individual (Bowlby, 1969). In the cycle, the child has a need, the child expresses displeasure (typically by crying), the adult recognizes the displeasure and meets the need, the child experiences relief, and the child becomes content. As the cycle repeats, the child learns to trust the adult to meet the next need.

According to Bowlby (1973, 1980), the primary purpose of attachment is to ensure the survival of a vulnerable infant, requiring the constant presence of a caregiver. Of importance in the context of foster care, the attachment a baby has with a primary caregiver can be transferred to another when the skill has been learned (Burton & Showell, 1997). In other words, once a child succeeds in attaching to a safe, caring adult, that child has gained the ability to trust another caregiver in the future.

Once a child succeeds in attaching to a safe, caring adult, that child has gained the ability to trust another caregiver in the future.

It takes many dedicated hours to form a healthy attachment with a child who is new to your family. And no one can “sub in” for you.

Foster Village enables foster families to do what they do. Many families cite the support they receive from Foster Village as one of the primary reasons they are able to keep fostering -- and keep forming healthy attachments with children. 

Many families cite the support they receive from Foster Village as one of the primary reasons they are able to keep fostering. 

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Amy Bowling is a textile artist who loves creating with color. She is also a licensed foster mom and lives in Topeka with her husband Kevin and their family. She currently serves on staff as Support Groups Coordinator at Foster Village Northeast KS. Amy is passionate about advocating for reunification with biological families, foster parenting with a focus on attachment, and helping foster moms connect with one another.