A Behavioral Intervention With Foster Families

Effects of a Behavioral Intervention With Foster Families: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Family Relationship; Behavior, Social; Sibling Relations
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: The Connected Family Series - For Foster Families

Detailed Description

Study Aims: This study aims to investigate a technology-delivered family (sibling inclusive) intervention. Focus is on increasing family hardiness and preparation to care for children with disabilities and special needs in foster care. Three aims include: (1) establish the feasibility of the technology-based, family-centered intervention (2) explore in a preliminary manner the effects of the intervention on stress and relational quality outcomes among family member participants, and (3) an exploratory aim to determine feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the intervention on diurnal salivary cortisol levels within the foster family population.

Methods: This study employs a randomized control trial design of a behavioral intervention with both a control and experimental group. The intervention tested was created in partnership and adapted from the Connected Family Series (CFS) by psychologists at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Childhood Development and is called the Connected Family Series - For Foster Families (CFS-FF). Adaptation was needed as the original intervention was geared toward adoptive families and excluded foster families. The CFS-FF also needed content specific to fostering children with special needs. Stress and relational quality outcomes among members will be measured using the concepts of family hardiness, preparedness, and relationship development through a self-report questionnaire which include the Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Integrating Foster Children (IFC) subscale from the Casey Foster Applicant Inventory (CFAI), and the Sibling Inventory of Behavior (SIB), respectively. Participation in the study spanned three to four months; one month for recruitment and collection of baseline data, one month for the intervention, and one-month post-intervention data collection. Exploratory aim 3 will be achieved by an objective indicator of stress-related biology, saliva diurnal cortisol rhythm, before and after completion of the intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 95
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85721
      • University of Arizona

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 7 years to 85 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group Receiving Intervention; 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; A 4-week program involving videos and activities for both the parent and child in the home.
No Intervention: Control Group; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sibling Inventory of Behavior	Psychometrically validated self-report tool for sibling relationships. Unabbreviated scale title: Sibling Inventory of Behavior (Positive) Min Value: 15 Max Value: 75 Higher Score means there are more positive outcomes between the siblings Unabbreviated scale title: Sibling Inventory of Behavior (Negative) Min Value: 17 Max Value: 85 Higher Score means there are more negative outcomes between the siblings	Before intervention, up to 2 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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	After intervention, up to 3 months
Sibling Inventory of Behavior	Psychometrically validated self-report tool for sibling relationships. Unabbreviated scale title: Sibling Inventory of Behavior (Positive) Min Value: 15 Max Value: 75 Higher Score means there are more positive outcomes between the siblings Unabbreviated scale title: Sibling Inventory of Behavior (Negative) Min Value: 17 Max Value: 85 Higher Score means there are more negative outcomes between the siblings	After intervention, up to 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Arizona
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christine Platt, DNP/PhD, University of Arizona

Publications and helpful links

Helpful 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.
• Turney, K., & Wildeman, C. (2016). Mental and physical health of children in foster care. Pediatrics, 138(5)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 15, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 30, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): November 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 31, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 6, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): May 3, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 2, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Randomized controlled trial; Behavioral Intervention; Sibling; Foster Care
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00000382

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No