State of the art: By ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Belgium endorsed that that every child has the right to grow up with its parents (article 9) and the Belgian state committed itself to make all the needed efforts in making this possible. Yet, rising figures of Flemish child abuse/neglect court cases (40% increase in the last 4 years), the number of children placed in foster families (10% increase the last 4 years) and a growing shortage of available foster families highlight the importance of supporting children and their caretakers in case of (imminent) out-of-home placement. Both these children as well as their parents and other social network members often are or have been victims of interpersonal traumatic events, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, neglect and bullying (physical and/or emotional). In the past few decades, a growing body of research has documented the negative short- and long-term consequences of complex trauma on children and adolescents and their families. It may lead to lifelong problems that place young people and their families at risk for additional trauma exposure and cumulative problems (e.g., psychiatric and addictive disorders; chronic medical illness; legal, vocational, and family problems). These difficulties may extend from childhood through adolescence into adulthood. For adults suffering complex trauma, raising a family of their own is a great challenge as studies show a direct relationship between trauma and challenges in regard to parenting. It is well established that families are a key developmental system in which young people receive care and support, yet they are a relatively under-studied context in literature on trauma-informed practices. Families, as a functional system, have the capacity to overcome significant life changes. Even in troubled systems, family resilience can play an important role in the positive adaptation to adversity and trauma. Innovative child and family support practices aimed at preventing out-of-home placement are the “Intensive trauma therapy and family support program” (INTENCO) and ‘Child in Healthy System”-program (KINGS). Yet these practices still lack empirical underpinning. In order to address this gap, this PhD-project aims at studying how families could be supported in dealing with complex trauma. In this way the project may help shifting the focus on “saving” children from their troubled families to a more vital focus on supporting families as a whole. Objectives – This PhD-study aims to explore how to support families, where out-of-home placement is imminent, in dealing with complex trauma The following research questions will be dealt with:

1. What is the current evidence- and practice-based knowledge regarding trauma-informed care and/or trauma processing in working with families who suffer complex trauma?

2. What are key factors in implementing a trauma informed framework in child- and family care practices?

3. When, for whom and under what conditions do trauma-informed/processing practices have positive effects on parenting in terms of perceived competencies and satisfaction?

4. What are the outcomes of trauma-informed or trauma processing family care programs in cases where out of home placem