Behavioural and emotional problems of children by type of out-of-home care in Croatia

The aim of this article is to compare the kinds of behavioural and emotional problems of youth in relation to type of out-of-home placement in Croatia. Children living in children's homes manifest significantly more behavioural and emotional problems than other groups of children in out-of-home care or children living in their primary families. Children living in foster families or in family-type homes integrated in the community do not differ from a comparative group of children living in primary families. Regardless of differences among sub-samples regarding behavioural and emotional problems, the current problems of individual children in all groups of children in out-of-home placement were connected more to currently experienced stressors than to unfavourable circumstances before their removal. This indicates that there are benefits to be gained by improving services in the children's present care environment.