Early Intervention Foster Care: A Prevention Trial

NCT00701194 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: R01MH059780
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 177
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The Early Intervention Foster Care \[EIFC\] project is an efficacy trial of the Oregon Social Learning Center Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Program, a preventive intervention that targets 3 commonly co-occurring variables among young foster children: (1) behavioral problems, (2) physiological dysregulation within the neuroendocrine system (i.e., HPA axis activity), and (3) developmental delays.

Conditions

School Readiness; Developmental Delays

Keywords

placement instability; disruptive behavior disorders; school readiness; developmental delays; cortisol; executive functioning; therapeutic foster care; prevention; early intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• placement stability

  6 months to 48 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• attachment and behavioral regulation

  baseline through 48 months post-intervention

• neuroendocrine and executive functioning

  baseline through 48 months post-intervention

Study Arms (3)

1

EXPERIMENTAL

EIFC/MTFC-P

Behavioral: Early Intervention Foster Care (EIFC)

2

NO INTERVENTION

Services as usual

Community Comparison

NO INTERVENTION

Non-maltreated community pre-schoolers from low-income biological families.

Interventions

Early Intervention Foster Care (EIFC) BEHAVIORAL

The EIFC/MTFC-P intervention is delivered through a treatment team approach. Foster parents receive preservice training and ongoing consultation from program staff. Children receive individual therapy and attend a therapeutic playgroup. The intervention emphasizes the use of concrete encouragement for prosocial behavior; consistent, nonabusive limit-setting to address disruptive behavior; and close supervision of the child. The EIFC intervention employs a developmental framework in which the challenges of foster preschoolers are viewed from the perspective of delayed maturation and is oriented toward creating optimal environmental conditions to facilitate developmental progress. These conditions include a responsive and consistent caregiver and a predictable daily routine.

Also known as: Multidemensional Treatment Foster Care-Preschool (MTFC-P)

1

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years - 6 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• child age 3 to 6 years currently in foster care
• child has entered new foster placement
• child currently living in Lane County, Oregon

You may not qualify if:

• child is medically or developmentally unable to complete assessment tasks

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Oregon Social Learning Center: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Oregon Social Learning Center

Eugene, Oregon, 97401, United States

Location

Related Links

• Oregon Social Learning Center website

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Philip A Fisher, PhD

  Oregon Social Learning Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Study Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2008
• First Posted: June 19, 2008
• Study Start: December 1, 1999
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2011
• Study Completion: March 1, 2011
• Last Updated: July 9, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Locations

US (1)