Manuscript Details

Lind, T., Bernard, K., Yarger, H. A., & Dozier, M. (2019). Promoting compliance in children referred to child protective services: A randomized clinical trial. Child Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13207

Moderate rating
Study reviewed under: Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1
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; outcomes 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

This manuscript analyzes findings from the same randomized controlled trial as Bernard et al. (2012). Additional contextual information about the study is from Bernard et al. (2012). Information on attrition for the 1-month post-intervention 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
Child compliance composite 36 months of age Moderate
0.53 Statistically significant, p= 0.01 101 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Child compliance: child touched toys 36 months of age Moderate
0.52 Statistically significant, p <.05 101 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Child compliance: duration of child touching toys (seconds) 36 months of age Moderate
0.42 Statistically significant, p= 0.04 101 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Child compliance: latency to child touching toys (seconds) 36 months of age Moderate
0.68 Statistically significant, p= 0.00 101 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Positive Parenting Practices
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Parent sensitivity 1 month post-intervention Moderate
0.47 Statistically significant, p= 0.03 89 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Parent sensitivity: duration (seconds) 36 months of age Moderate
0.40 Not statistically significant, p= 0.05 101 mother/child dyads ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Large mid-Atlantic city
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant

This study included participants with the following characteristics at enrollment:

Race/Ethnicity

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if Hispanic ethnicity was reported separately or respondents could select two or more race or ethnicity categories.

Black or African American
70%
Hispanic or Latino
14%
White
9%
Two or more races
7%

Maternal Education

Less than a high school diploma
58%
High school diploma or GED
31%
Some college or Associate's degree
2%
Unknown
9%

Other Characteristics

Data not available

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • State not reported or international
Study Participants

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) assigned eligible families to either ABC-Infant or a comparison program that also included home visits. Eligible families were participants in a foster care diversion program with children younger than 2 who were referred from Child Protective Services for various issues placing children at risk (for example, domestic violence, parental substance use, homelessness, or neglect). At the 36 month follow-up, the analytic sample consisted of 101 mother-child dyads (45 in the ABC-Infant group and 56 in the comparison group). In the analytic sample, 69 percent of children were African American, 6 percent were White, 11 percent were Hispanic, and 14 percent were biracial. All caregiver participants in the study were biological mothers, 70 percent of whom were African American, 9 percent White, 14 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent biracial. The majority of the caregivers had less than a high school degree (58 percent) and most (64 percent) reported an annual income of less than $10,000.

Setting

The study was conducted in a large mid-Atlantic city.

Comparison Conditions

Comparison families received Developmental Education for Families (DEF) in home visits that were the same duration (10 hour-long sessions) and frequency (weekly) as ABC-Infant. DEF was designed to enhance cognitive and linguistic development. For this study, the components related to following children’s cues were removed to distinguish it from ABC-Infant.

Author Affiliation

Mary Dozier, one of the authors of the study, is a developer of the ABC home visiting model.

Funding Sources

This research was supported by Award Numbers R01MH052135, R01MH074374, and R01MH084135 from the National Institute of Mental Health.