A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the fostering changes programme

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Social Work Interventions
• Foster Care Research

Background:

• Many young people in care experience trauma, necessitating skilled foster and kinship carers.
• Foster care aims to provide stable environments following maltreatment or adverse experiences.
• The Confidence in Care trial addresses the need for effective support for foster carers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based training program for foster carers.
• To determine if the training enhances foster carer self-efficacy.
• To assess the impact of training on child behavior and carer coping.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic, individually randomised controlled trial involving 312 foster carers in Wales.
• Participants were allocated to either the Confidence in Care training or usual care.
• Primary outcome: Carer Efficacy Questionnaire at 12 months; secondary outcomes included child behavior and coping strategies.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in foster carer self-efficacy between the training and usual care groups at 12 months.
• Minor, short-term improvements in child behavior difficulties and carer coping strategies favored the intervention group.
• The training program was well-received but demonstrated limited long-term benefits.

Conclusions:

• The Confidence in Care training, while appreciated, did not substantially improve foster carer self-efficacy.
• The intervention showed small, transient benefits for secondary outcomes, diminishing over time.
• Further research may be needed to identify more impactful interventions for foster carers.