Mental Health Services for Toddlers in Foster Care

University of Delaware

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Behavior Problems

Treatments: Behavioral: Developmental Education for Families; Behavioral: Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01261806

NIH R01 MH052135

Details and patient eligibility

About

Toddlers (2- to 3-year-old children) in foster care often have difficulty regulating behavior and biology, and are at risk for a host of mental health problems. Critical issues for toddlers straddle the challenges of infancy and preschool years. In particular, toddlers in foster care face significant challenges in forming new attachment relationships and developing behavioral and biological regulatory capabilities. This project will assess the effectiveness of an intervention that targets these issues. Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers in Foster Care (ABC-T) was developed to help parents: provide nurturing care so that children develop secure, trusting relationships; and supporting children when they become overwhelmed that enhance children's ability to regulate behavior and biology. This intervention's effectiveness will be assessed in a randomized clinical trial.

Full description

This study assesses the efficacy of a 10-session intervention for young children in the foster care system. Children are randomly assigned to the experimental condition (ABC-T) or to a treatment control (DEF). In the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers (ABC-T) condition, children's foster parents receive an intervention that focuses on nurturance, following children's lead, and helping children settle when they become overwhelmed. In the Developmental Education for Families (DEF) intervention, children's foster parents receive an intervention that focuses on enhancing children's cognitive and motor skills. Both of the interventions are provided in families' homes for 10 sessions of about 60 minutes duration. Outcomes include attachment (assessed in the Preschool Strange Situation), cortisol production (assessed diurnally), child behavior problems (assessed through laboratory procedures that stress children), and through psychiatric interviews.

Enrollment: 220 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 2 to 3 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 2 -3 years of age, in foster care

Exclusion criteria

• Not in foster care

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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220 participants in 2 patient groups

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up

Experimental group

Description:

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up: 10 session intervention in foster families' homes designed to enhance parental nurturance, synchrony, and provide skills such that parents can help children calm down when overwhelmed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up

Developmental Education for Families

Active Comparator group

Description:

10 session intervention in foster families' homes that targets cognitive and motor skills of children

Treatment:

Behavioral: Developmental Education for Families