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
| Screening decision | Screening conclusion | HomVEE procedures and standards version |
|---|---|---|
| Passes screens | Eligible for review | Version 1 |
| Rating | Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Compromised randomization | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measure(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Randomized controlled trial | High | Established on race/ethnicity and SES; outcome not feasible to assess at baseline | None | None | Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed before 2021 |
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.
| 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 services | ABC-Toddler, a manualized intervention, aimed to increase parent sensitivity and receptivity for children ages 24 to 48 months. Parent coaches delivered 10 hour-long sessions in foster parents’ homes. Parent coaches observed and provided “in the moment” feedback on parent-child interactions. |
| 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. |
| Subgroups examined |
This field lists subgroups examined in the manuscript (even if they were not replicated in other samples and not reported on the summary page for this model’s report). Subgroups are not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021. |
| Funding sources | This research was supported by Award Number R01MH052135 from the National Institute of Mental Health. |
| Author affiliation | Mary Dozier is a developer of the ABC home visiting program model. |
| Peer reviewed | Peer reviewed status is not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021. |
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01261806. Study registration was assessed by HomVEE beginning with the 2014 review.
Findings that rate moderate or high
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary |
FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware |
60 months of age |
58 children | Unadjusted mean = 105.10 | Unadjusted mean = 95.50 | Mean difference = 9.60 | HomVEE calculated = 0.60 | Statistically significant, p= 0.03 |
|
| Moderate | Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary |
FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware |
36 months of age |
32 children | Unadjusted mean = 93.60 | Unadjusted mean = 80.30 | Mean difference = 13.30 | HomVEE calculated = 0.86 | Statistically significant, p= 0.02 |
|
| Moderate | Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) - Receptive Vocabulary |
FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
ABC-Toddler vs. DEF; Delaware |
48 months of age |
53 children | Unadjusted mean = 99.60 | Unadjusted mean = 97.00 | Mean difference = 2.60 | HomVEE calculated = 0.17 | Not statistically significant, p= 0.52 |