NCT01261806

Mental Health Services for Toddlers in Foster Care

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 220 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Delaware · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 2 Years – 3 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Conditions

• Behavior Problems

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up	Enhances nurturance, following the lead, and calming behaviors
BEHAVIORAL	Developmental Education for Families	Attention control: Enhances parents understanding of developmental milestones

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-04-01
• Primary completion: 2016-12-01
• Completion: 2016-12-01
• First posted: 2010-12-16
• Last updated: 2016-12-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States