Pilot randomized controlled trial of an attachment- and trauma-focused intervention for kinship caregivers

Kinship care placements are increasing in many Western countries, however families in kinship care are underserved partly due to the lack of evidence-based interventions addressing their unique needs.

We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine research feasibility and the acceptability, fidelity, and preliminary outcomes of an attachment- and trauma-focused intervention for kinship caregivers in Australia.

Participants included 26 kinship caregivers (M_age = 55.00 years; 54% grandparents) with youth (M_age = 10.58 years; 38% female), and 19 practitioners from child protection, out-of-home care and other services.

Kinship caregivers were randomized to Connect for Kinship Parents (Connect-KP) or care-as-usual (CAU), and completed assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up. Placement changes were evaluated at 6-month follow-up. A subset of practitioners received both training and supervision in implementing Connect-KP, and their videorecorded sessions were coded for fidelity.

Practitioners rated the training highly and demonstrated excellent fidelity to program content and process. Results supported the research feasibility and all kinship caregivers reported high levels of program satisfaction and had very high attendance and completion rates. Direction of effects favored Connect-KP vs. CAU for all nine caregiver and youth outcomes, with the largest effects observed for significant reductions in caregiver strain, caregiver psychological aggression, and youth affect suppression following intervention. At 6-month follow-up, more youth from CAU (15%) vs. Connect-KP (0%) experienced an unplanned placement change.

Our findings show promise of Connect-KP as a potentially effective intervention that can be successfully implemented in child welfare services, and provide impetus for a larger-scale RCT.