Evaluation of Intervention for Siblings in Foster Care

描述(由申请人提供)：国家估计表明，大约70%寄养儿童有一个或多个兄弟姐妹也在照看。确切的百分比因州而异，但几个数据来源表明，大约50%的早期青少年寄养青年被安置在与他们的一个或多个兄弟姐妹分开的地方。这些兄弟姐妹之间的关系可能是为他们提供连接感和情感连续性的关键，因为他们远离了许多熟悉的地方(例如，他们的家、父母和朋友)。从历史上看，加强寄养儿童与其家庭的联系的努力侧重于成年人(如亲生父母、祖父母)。关于寄养家庭兄弟姐妹关系的研究有限。这项拟议研究的中心目的是评估与单纯父母管理培训(PMT)相比，兄弟姐妹加父母管理培训(SPMT)干预对寄养青少年兄弟姐妹关系质量、心理健康、学业成功和生活质量的关键结构的影响。与俄勒冈州国土安全部寄养计划合作开展的240名兄弟姐妹二人组及其养父母将被纳入六个队列。兄弟姐妹可以住在一起，也可以住在不同的地方。二人组将包括(1)11-15岁的目标照料青年，和(2)7-15岁且在目标青年4岁以内的照料中的弟弟妹妹。兄弟姐妹二人组将被配对为同居或分居；匹配的二人组将被随机分配到SPMT组或仅PMT组，所有研究登记的养父母都接受PMT干预部分。SPMT干预包括兄弟姐妹部分以及养父母PMT。兄弟姐妹干预部分包括八次技能学习/实践的认知行为会议，以及兄弟姐妹与其干预主义教练计划的四项社区活动。对于寄养父母，有一个为期4节的PMT课程，强调技能学习和与他们已就读的寄养子女一起练习。应寄养父母的要求，还可提供额外的课程。养父母还可以通过每周的工作人员签到电话和项目网站访问PMT材料和策略并进行故障排除。主波评估将在基线、介入终止(6个月)、随访1(干预后6个月)和随访2(干预后12个月)进行。每两个月对青少年和养父母进行一次简短的电话采访，将收集服务利用数据和全球结果结构评级，用于成长建模分析。分层线性模型(HLM)和多元回归分析将被用来检验(1)SPMT兄弟姐妹在关键结果上将比PMT兄弟姐妹改善更多的预测，以及(2)干预效果是否因兄弟姐妹安置(一起或分开)和参与者特征(如种族、性别和残疾)而有所不同。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): National estimates indicate that roughly 70% of children in foster care have one or more siblings also in care. Exact percentages vary by state, but several data sources suggest that about 50% of early adolescent foster youth are placed apart from one or more of their siblings. Relationships between these siblings may be critical in providing them a sense of connection and emotional continuity as they are removed from much that is familiar (e.g. their home, parents, and friends). Historically, efforts to strengthen ties of foster children with their families have focused on adults (e.g., biological parents, grandparents). Limited research exists on the relationships of siblings in foster care. The central aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the impact of the Sibling plus Parent Management Training (SPMT) intervention as compared to Parent Management Training only (PMT) on key constructs of sibling relationship quality, mental health, academic success, and quality of life for youth in foster care. Conducted in partnership with the Oregon DHS Foster Care program, 240 sibling dyads and their foster parents will be enrolled in six cohorts. Siblings may live together or in separate placements. Dyads will consist of (1) a target youth in care that is 11-15 years of age, and (2) a younger sibling in care who is 7-15 years of age and within 4 years of age of the target youth. Sibling dyads will be matched as living together or living apart; the matched dyads will be randomly assigned to either the SPMT or PMT-only group, with all study-enrolled foster parents receiving PMT intervention components. The SPMT intervention includes a sibling component as well as foster parent PMT. The sibling intervention component includes eight cognitive behavioral sessions of skills learning/practice, and four community activities planned by siblings with their interventionist coaches. For foster parents, there is a 4-session PMT curriculum emphasizing skills learning and practice with their study-enrolled foster child. Additional sessions are available to foster parents on request. Foster parents will also be able to access and troubleshoot PMT materials and strategies via weekly staff check-in calls, and the project website. Major wave assessments will be conducted at baseline, intervention termination (6 months), follow-along1 (6-month post-intervention) and follow-along2 (12-month post-intervention). Brief, bi-monthly phone interviews for youth and foster parents will collect service utilization data and global ratings of outcome constructs for use in growth-modeling analyses. Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM) and multiple regression analyses will be used to test (1) the prediction that SPMT siblings will improve more than PMT siblings on key outcomes, and (2) whether intervention efficacy varies by sibling placement (together vs. apart) and participant characteristics such as race, gender, and disability.