Fostering Healthy Futures Efficacy Trial for Preadolescent Youth in Foster Care

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

426 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2007-06-30

Study Completion Date

2017-03-23

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This is a multi-county randomized controlled trial of the Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) preventive intervention program (consisting of mentoring and skills groups) with 256 maltreated preadolescent youth in out-of-home care. It is hypothesized that participation in the FHF program will result in better functioning in cognitive, social, and behavioral domains, and that these gains will result in improved mental health functioning, quality of life, and reductions in problem behaviors and adverse life-course outcomes.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Intervention Development and Pilot for Foster Care Youth

NCT00809315

Child Abuse

COMPLETED NA

Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens: An RCT

NCT03707366

Child Abuse Child Neglect Risk Behavior +8 more

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING NA

Early Intervention Foster Care: A Prevention Trial

NCT00701194

School Readiness Developmental Delays

COMPLETED NA

Mental Health Services for Foster and Adopted Children

NCT00056303

Problem Behaviors Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Depression

COMPLETED PHASE1

A Behavioral Intervention With Foster Families

NCT05405972

Family Relationship Sibling Relations Behavior, Social

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Youth with a history of maltreatment and foster care placement are at risk for a host of mental health, behavioral, and social problems, resulting in adverse life-course outcomes of great public health significance. This is a 5-year efficacy trial of the Fostering Healthy Futures Program (FHF), a preventive intervention designed to promote prosocial development, and to reduce problem behaviors for youth in foster care. FHF is an innovative, culturally-sensitive and multi-component intervention for 9-11-year-old children who have been maltreated and placed in foster care. Through a 9-month intervention that includes screening assessments, one-on-one mentoring, and skills groups, FHF targets cognitive, social and behavioral domains in order to build competencies, improve mental health functioning and quality of life, and reduce problem behaviors and adverse life outcomes (e.g. arrests, school dropout, restrictive placements). Assessments with youth, caregivers and teachers will be conducted at baseline (pre-randomization), post-intervention, and 1-year follow-up. Data will also include child welfare, educational, and juvenile justice records. A randomized controlled pilot trial of FHF in one county has produced program manuals for the mentoring and skills group components, and evidence of program feasibility, with high recruitment and retention rates. The FHF pilot study has demonstrated positive preliminary effects on putative mediators. A multi-county randomized controlled trial of the FHF program with 256 youth will enable the investigators to: 1) examine intervention effects on both proximal and distal outcomes, 2) examine potential moderators of the intervention, 3) conduct mediational analyses to identify the mechanisms by which the program may enhance outcomes, and 4) conduct within-group analyses. The goal is to design more efficacious interventions, thereby reducing disability, morbidity, and mortality, not only for youth in foster care, but for all high-risk youth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Child Abuse

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Assessment only

Cognitive, academic achievement and mental health screening assessment and report.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive, academic achievement, and mental health screening assessment and report.

Assessment + FHF

Cognitive, academic achievement and mental health screening assessment and report. Fostering Healthy Futures program (FHF) including weekly therapeutic skill groups and mentoring over a 9-month period.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive, academic achievement, and mental health screening assessment and report.

Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Weekly therapeutic skill groups and mentoring over a 9-month period.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Assessment

Cognitive, academic achievement, and mental health screening assessment and report.

Intervention Type OTHER

Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF)

Weekly therapeutic skill groups and mentoring over a 9-month period.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

All of the 9-11-year-old children court-ordered into out-of-home care (as a result of maltreatment) over the prior year in participating counties, including:

1. Youth placed in group homes, foster homes, and with kin
2. Youth with significant behavior problems
3. Youth who meet criteria for mental health diagnoses or dual diagnosis
4. Youth with mild cognitive impairment

Exclusion Criteria

1. Youth who reunify before the beginning of the intervention
2. Youth with significant cognitive, behavioral, and/or mental health impairment that interfered with either with their ability to benefit from the prevention program or to participate safely
3. Youth who were not proficient enough in English to participate
4. Youth who lived too far (more than 35 minutes) from sites where groups were held

Minimum Eligible Age

9 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

11 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No