NCT00056303

Mental Health Services for Foster and Adopted Children

Specialized Mental Health Services for Foster Infants

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 220 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Delaware · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Months – 36 Months
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will determine the effectiveness of a relationship-based intervention in improving the interaction between caregivers and young children placed in their care.

Detailed description

Infants and toddlers who are placed into foster or adoptive care often exhibit a number of behavioral, emotional, and physiological problems. In the absence of specialized services, problems in the relationship between caregiver and child may develop; problems in the child's functioning often persist and are exacerbated. This study will attempt to alleviate the attachment and regulatory difficulties that affect many young children placed into care. Children are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or to a treatment control group for 3 years. The experimental group focuses on relational issues; the control group focuses on cognitive development. Caregivers receiving the relational intervention are trained to provide nurturing care, and to help children learn to develop adequate regulatory skills. Caregivers in the treatment control group receive training designed to enhance children's cognitive development. Caregivers in both groups will receive 10 home visits. Observations of children and parents are used to assess participants.

Conditions

• Problem Behaviors
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up	Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up is a 10 session in-home intervention that targets synchrony, nurturance, and calming parental behavior.
BEHAVIORAL	Developmental Education for Families	Developmental Education for Families is a 10-session in home intervention that targets children's cognitive development.

Timeline

• Start date: 2002-12-01
• Primary completion: 2016-12-01
• Completion: 2016-12-01
• First posted: 2003-03-11
• Last updated: 2016-12-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States