A Behavioral Intervention With Foster Families

NCT05405972 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00000382
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 95
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate a behavioral intervention with foster families.

Conditions

Family Relationship; Sibling Relations; Behavior, Social

Keywords

Randomized controlled trial; Behavioral Intervention; Sibling; Foster Care

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Family Hardiness Index

  Psychometrically validated self-report tool for family functioning. Unabbreviated scale title: Family Hardiness Index Min Value: 0 Max Value: 60 Higher Score means better/improvement in hardiness

  Before intervention, up to 2 week

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Sibling Inventory of Behavior

  Before intervention, up to 2 weeks

Other Outcomes (2)

• Family Hardiness Index

  After intervention, up to 3 months

• Sibling Inventory of Behavior

  After intervention, up to 3 months

Study Arms (2)

Group Receiving Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group receives a link each week connecting them to the videos for both parents and children as well as a communicating/connecting activity. The intervention is self-paced over a 4 week period. The intervention was titled the Connected Family Series - For Foster Families (CFS-FF) (further referred to as the intervention) and was created/adapted in partnership from the Connected Family Series (CFS) by psychologists at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Childhood Development (KPICD). A letter of support from the KPICD is available in Appendix D. Adaptation was needed as the original intervention was geared toward adoptive families and excluded foster families. This process was done with the original creator (Dr. Jana Hunsley) with members of the research team and fostering community.

Behavioral: The Connected Family Series - For Foster Families

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Families in the control group receive no video links during the 4 week period. Families assigned to the control do have the opportunity to participate in the intervention post-data collection and analysis and outside of the research protocol.

Interventions

The Connected Family Series - For Foster Families BEHAVIORAL

A 4-week program involving videos and activities for both the parent and child in the home.

Group Receiving Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years - 85 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• licensed foster families
• must have at least one permanent child (biological or adopted) living in the home before the foster or newly adopted child entered the home
• at least one foster or foster-to-adopt child placed in the home
• all participants other than the foster or foster-to-adopt child must be proficient in English

You may not qualify if:

• Non-English speaking
• No permanent sibling between the ages of 7 at 17
• No current foster placement living in the home
• Designated as a group home
• Greater than six children living in the home

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Arizona: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona, 85721, United States

Location

Related Links

• Bruskas, D., \& Tessin, D. H. (2013). Adverse childhood experiences and psychosocial well-being of women who were in foster care as children. The Permanente Journal, 17(3), e131-e141.
• Gypen, L., Vanderfaeillie, J., De Maeyer, S., Belenger, L., \& Van Holen, F. (2017). Outcomes of children who grew up in foster care: Systematic-review. Children and Youth Services Review, 76, 74-83
• Gypen, L., West, D., Van Holen, F., \& Vanderfaeillie, J. (2020). Birth children of foster carers: How do they experience the foster care placement. Child and Youth Services Review 109, 104703
• Vanderfaeillie, J., Van Holen, F., Carlier, E., \& Fransen, H. (2018b). Breakdown of foster care placements in Flanders: Incidence and associated factors. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 27(2), 209-220.
• Wojciak, A. S., McWey, L. M., \& Waid, J. (2018). Sibling relationships of youth in foster care: A predictor of resilience. Children and Youth Services Review, 84, 247-254.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Social Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Christine Platt, DNP/PhD

  University of Arizona

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Randomization to group was blinded and done by an independent statistician.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This study employed a randomized control trial design of a behavioral intervention with foster families caring for a CDFC as well as a permanent child in the home. The intervention tested is self-paced and delivered via technology to include foster families in rural and underserved locations. Behavioral changes of caregivers and children in the home were predicted to improve family functioning and facilitate healing from relationship-based trauma and its associated symptoms. Stratified randomization was used to assign participants into the experimental or control group. Blinding of the two groups to participants was not done (participants knew whether or not they received the video intervention). However, the team blinded the statistical analysis to group with the use of a statistician. Families assigned to the control did have the opportunity to participate in the intervention post-data collection and analysis and outside of the research protocol.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2022
• First Posted: June 6, 2022
• Study Start: May 15, 2022
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2022
• Study Completion: November 30, 2023
• Last Updated: May 3, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)