Any separation has a negative effect on a child even if the separation is in the best interest of the child. In the event of the removal of a child from a primary attachment figure, it can be expected to take two years for the child to be able to reach a place of resolution. Because of the effect of loss and grief, children cannot emotionally survive separation followed by multiple placements. Loss after loss causes the ultimate loss of hope. Those who become hopeless become helpless and directionless.
Loss causes mistrust of authority figures and negatively impacts self-esteem.
For children, grief caused by loss is composed of a million moments of broken connections. Even infants and toddlers react to loss. The grief process and symptoms will vary from child to child depending on the age and temperament of each child. There are many small losses in a person's life and this is especially true for adolescents. They experience the death of their early childhood as they struggle between wanting to be independent and fearing separation.