Black or African American
49%
Raby, K. L., Freedman, E., Yarger, H. A., Lind, T., & Dozier, M. (2018). Enhancing the language development of toddlers in foster care by promoting foster parents’ sensitivity: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Developmental Science, 22(2), e12753. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12753
Study Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors? | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | High |
Established on race/ethnicity and SES; outcome not feasible to assess at baseline |
None |
Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1 |
Notes from the review of this manuscript
In addition to the findings that received a moderate rating, foster parents’ sensitive caregiving received a low rating because the analysis did not control for a baseline measure of foster parents’ sensitivity. Information about baseline equivalence and sample size at each follow-up was based on correspondence with the author.
Child Development and School Readiness
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary | 36 months of age | Moderate | 0.86 | Statistically significant, p= 0.02 | 32 children | ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware | |
| Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary | 48 months of age | Moderate | 0.17 | Not statistically significant, p= 0.52 | 53 children | ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware | |
| Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary | 60 months of age | Moderate | 0.60 | Statistically significant, p= 0.03 | 58 children | ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware |
This study included participants from the following locations:
- Delaware
Study Participants
Foster parents of children ages 24 to 36 months were referred to the study by the State of Delaware Division of Family Services. A total of 205 families were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive ABC-Toddler or a comparison home visiting model. This study focused on 88 parent-child dyads that participated in a post-intervention assessment of children’s receptive vocabulary. Most participating foster parents were females who identified as African American (47 percent) or Caucasian (42 percent). More than half had a household income of at least $60,000. Children were predominately African American (49 percent) or Caucasian (29 percent) who had been with their foster parent for almost three years at follow-up.
Setting
Delaware
Intervention condition
Note: Navigate to the model page for more information about the home visiting model. See the source manuscript for more information about how the model was implemented in this study.
Comparison Conditions
Comparison families received Developmental Education for Families (DEF) in home visits that were of the same duration and intensity (10 hour-long sessions) as ABC-Toddler. DEF was designed to enhance cognitive and linguistic development. For this study, DEF was adapted to exclude components related to parent sensitivity and receptivity to distinguish it from ABC-Toddler.
Funding Sources
This research was supported by Award Number R01MH052135 from the National Institute of Mental Health.