Promoting Infant Mental Health in Foster Care
Condition: Child Development; Child Behavior Disorders; Reactive Attachment Disorder
MeSH terms: Mental Disorders; Child Behavior Disorders; Reactive Attachment Disorder
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the Promoting First Relationships (PFR) program
      versus an Early Education Support (EES) program in promoting infant well-being, preventing
      emotional and behavioral problems, countering developmental delay, and reducing placement
      instability in young foster care children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Infants who enter foster care are at risk for developing multiple social and emotional
      problems later in life. These behavioral issues often result in foster children being placed
      with multiple different families during their childhoods. In turn, an unstable family life
      can lead to serious conduct disorders and mental health problems. The infants' loss of their
      first attachment relationship heightens the risks for developing these problems, even if the
      quality of care was poor prior to removal. Infants' reactions to this loss, combined with
      other vulnerabilities, complicate the development of new secure attachments to their foster
      care families. Garnering a secure attachment relationship between foster parents and foster
      infants may reduce the infant's risk for developing problematic mental health and conduct
      issues. PFR is a family therapy intervention focused on aiding foster care parents to
      cultivate secure attachments with their foster infants. This study will evaluate the
      effectiveness of the PFR program versus an EES program in promoting attachment security and
      infant well-being, preventing emotional and behavioral problems, countering developmental
      delay, and reducing placement instability in young foster care children.

      Participants in this single-blind study will be randomly assigned to receive either PFR or
      EES. Both interventions will be administered by a trained staff member of a community agency.
      Participants assigned to PFR will receive ten weekly home visits that will focus on promoting
      the development of a secure attachment between foster parents and infants. EES will consist
      of three monthly home visits, during which infants will be assessed and referred for
      additional care if necessary. EES participants will not receive any training. Outcomes will
      be assessed at 1, 6, and 12 months post-intervention for all participants.
    

Intervention name(s): Promoting First Relationships Program; Early Education Support Program
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants assigned to PFR will receive ten weekly home visits that will focus on promoting the development of a secure attachment between foster parents and infants.; EES will consist of three monthly home visits, during which infants will be assessed and referred for additional care if necessary. EES participants will not receive any training.
Other intervention name(s): PFR; EES
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Infants; Toddlers; Attachment; Maltreatment; Foster Care