Attachment-based parental capacity assessments in cases of child maltreatment: Thoughts on Forslund, et al.’s consensus paper: “Attachment Goes to Court: Child Protection and Custody Issues”
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One positive impact of the prolific research on child attachment is the amount of knowledge in this area, but a negative impact is the misinformation and premature use of this knowledge by the clinical community. The consensus article by Forslund et al. (2020) highlights the misconceptions circulating about child attachment and provides recommendations for a better application of such notions by the court, for example in the context of parental capacity assessments (PCAs) by child protective services in cases of child maltreatment. This commentary provides additional thoughts on the issues to consider when using attachment theory and related studies in conducting PCAs by child protective services. Issues to reflect upon are put forward for researchers and professionals. We emphasize the need to develop evidence-based PCAs, which would include an assessment of the parent’s potential to enhance parental sensitivity. For a better transmission of attachment concepts and the sustainability of best practices in this area, we recommend the implementation of attachment-based communities of practice that would bring together researchers and professionals.
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