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Incredible Years parent training support for foster carers in Wales: a multi-centre feasibility study
T Bywater1, J Hutchings, P Linck
1College of Health and Behavioural Science, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Gwynedd, UK. t.bywater@bangor.ac.uk
Insights
The Incredible Years parenting program significantly reduced problem behaviors in foster children and improved foster parent well-being. This intervention shows promise for enhancing placement stability and reducing service costs for looked-after children.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychology
- Family Therapy
- Social Work
Background:
- Conduct disorder affects 10% of children, rising to 37% in foster care, with long-term risks including substance misuse and criminal behavior.
- Challenging behaviors in foster children are a primary cause of placement instability, incurring significant service costs (up to 10x higher).
- The Incredible Years (IY) program offers an evidence-based, cost-effective approach to improving child behavior and social competence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the IY parenting program for foster carers managing difficult behaviors in looked-after children.
- To assess the impact of the IY program on service use costs for foster carers and children.
- To determine the program's potential for improving placement stability.
Main Methods:
- A 12-month trial platform study involving 46 foster carers in Wales, allocated 2:1 to intervention or waiting-list control.
- Validated measures assessed parenting competency, carer depression, child behavior, and service use at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
- Intervention group received the IY program between baseline and follow-up assessments.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in child problem behaviors and carer depression were observed in the intervention group compared to controls.
- Control group carers unexpectedly showed significant improvements in self-reported parenting strategies.
- Special education represented the highest service cost associated with looked-after children.
Conclusions:
- Integrating the IY program into initial foster carer training can enhance relationship-building and behavior management skills.
- Program participation may lead to decreased service utilization and improved foster placement stability.
- The IY program presents a viable, cost-effective intervention for supporting foster families and improving outcomes for looked-after children.
Background:
the incidence of conduct disorder in young children is 10% in the general population and 37% among fostered children. Up to 40% of untreated children diagnosed with conduct disorder develop problems later in life including drug misuse, criminal and violent behaviour. There are more than 80,000 looked after children in the UK, with 5000 in Wales. Challenging child behaviour is the main reason for placement breakdown and has huge cost implications as challenging children cost up to 10 times more in service use than children without conduct disorder. The Incredible Years (IY) evidence-based parenting programme is an effective, low cost solution in improving child behaviour and social competence in 'conventional' families and thus has the potential to support foster carers in managing difficult behaviours. Our main aims were to establish: • The feasibility of delivery and the effectiveness of the IY parenting programme in supporting carers in managing difficult behaviour in looked after children. • Service use costs for foster carers and looked after child.
Methods:
This was a 12-month trial platform study with 46 foster carers in three authorities in Wales. Carers were allocated 2:1 intervention to waiting-list control. Validated measures were used to assess 'parenting' competency, carers' depression levels, child behaviour and service use. Measures were administered at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Intervention carers received the programme between baseline and follow-up.
Results:
Analyses showed a significant reduction in child problem behaviour and improvement in carers' depression levels for intervention families at follow-up, compared with control. Unexpectedly, there was a significant improvement in control carers' self-reported 'parenting' strategies. Special education was the greatest service cost for looked after children.
Conclusions:
Initial foster carer training could incorporate the IY programme to support carers in establishing positive relationships and managing difficult child behaviour. Programme participation may lead to reduced service use and improved placement stability.
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