Chicago Parent Program for Behavioral Problems

Overseen By Cindy Zion, BS

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Disqualifiers: Child age, County custody, Placement duration, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 months

300 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care among foster and kinship caregivers. The program focuses on enhancing parenting skills and reducing behavior problems in young children in foster care. Participants will either receive this specialized program or continue with the standard care provided by child welfare and healthcare systems. Eligible caregivers must be licensed and caring for a foster child aged 2 to 8 in specific Ohio counties. As an unphased trial, this study provides caregivers the opportunity to contribute to valuable research that could improve support systems for foster families.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care is safe?

Research has shown that the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) has been adapted to help foster and kinship caregivers enhance their parenting skills and reduce children's behavior issues. Early studies suggest that caregivers find this program helpful and easy to use in the foster care setting.

These studies did not find any major negative effects, indicating that the program is safe for caregivers. Since it focuses on teaching parenting techniques and building strong caregiver-child relationships, which are safe activities, the risks are generally lower compared to medication.

Overall, based on the available research, the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care appears to be safe and effective. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care because it is specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of children aged 2-8 in foster and kinship care. Unlike standard parenting programs, this approach focuses on empowering caregivers with tailored skills and confidence to address behavior problems in this vulnerable group. By directly involving foster and kinship caregivers, the program aims to prevent or reduce behavior issues more effectively than conventional methods, potentially leading to better outcomes for both children and caregivers.

What evidence suggests that the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care is effective for reducing behavioral problems in children?

Research shows that the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) helps reduce behavior problems in young children, particularly those aged 2-5. Studies involving over 500 children, mostly African American and Latinx, have demonstrated improvements. In this trial, one group of participants will receive the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care (CPP-FC), specially adapted for foster and kinship caregivers to enhance their parenting skills and confidence. Caregivers who used the adapted program provided positive feedback, noting its practicality and ease of use. This suggests that the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care could effectively address behavior issues in children in foster care. ^{2 3 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Sarah Beal, PhD

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for licensed foster or kinship caregivers in Ohio, caring for a child aged 2 to under 9 years. Participants must be in good standing with their local foster care agency and speak English. It's designed to help those dealing with children's disruptive behaviors by improving caregiver competence.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a licensed caregiver to a foster child aged 2 to under 9.

Must be a licensed foster caregiver or kinship caregiver to a foster child in Ohio and in the custody of Hamilton County Job and Family Services, Butler County Children Services, or Montgomery County Children Services

Must be in good standing with the foster care agency

Exclusion Criteria

The foster child not being in the custody of Ohio counties: Hamilton County Job and Family Services, Butler County Children Services, or Montgomery County Children Services

The foster child was placed in the home more than 45 days prior to enrollment

Not having a foster child between the ages of 2 and less than 9 years

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive the Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care (CPP-FC) or usual care

6 months

Regular group sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting competence and child behavior problems

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care

Trial Overview The study compares the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) tailored for foster and kinship caregivers against usual care provided through child welfare systems. The goal is to see if CPP can better support caregivers and reduce behavior problems in children within the foster system.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care (CPP-FC) is a caregiver-directed prevention program to strengthen parenting skills and confidence in foster and kinship caregivers and prevent or reduce behavior problems in children 2-8 years old. CPP-FC was designed to specifically meet the unique needs of children ages 2-8 who are placed with foster and kinship caregivers. Participants assigned to CPP-FC will receive CPP-FC and the services typically offered from the county, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Comprehensive Health Evaluations for Cincinnati's Kids (CHECK) clinic, and for licensed caregivers, their licensing agency.

Group II: Usual Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Usual Care control will receive standard care offered from the county, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Comprehensive Health Evaluations for Cincinnati's Kids (CHECK) clinic, and for licensed caregivers, their licensing agency.

Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Chicago Parent Program for:

• Child behavior problems in foster care
• Caregiver competence in foster care

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Lead Sponsor

Trials

844

Recruited

6,566,000+

Johns Hopkins University

Collaborator

Trials

2,366

Recruited

15,160,000+

Ohio State University

Collaborator

Trials

891

Recruited

2,659,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Functional Family Therapy-Child Welfare (FFT-CW®) was found to be more efficient and effective than Usual Care (UC) in reducing child maltreatment, with families completing treatment more quickly and meeting service goals more often over a 16-month follow-up period involving 1625 families.

Families in the FFT-CW® program experienced fewer transfers to other programs and had lower rates of recurring allegations and out-of-home placements, particularly among those with higher risk factors, indicating better overall outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Summary of comparison between FFT-CW® and Usual Care sample from Administration for Children's Services. Turner, CW., Robbins, MS., Rowlands, S., et al.[2022]

In an effectiveness trial of parent management training as part of the Prevention Program for Externalizing Problem Behavior (PEP), a significant percentage of children (32.6% to 60.7%) were identified as having clinically relevant externalizing behavior issues at the start of the study.

After three months of treatment, between 24.8% and 60.4% of these children showed recovery, indicating that parent management training can lead to meaningful improvements in managing externalizing behavior problems.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does parent management training for children with externalizing problem behavior in routine care result in clinically significant changes? Hautmann, C., Stein, P., Hanisch, C., et al.[2015]

The KEEP (Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported) intervention effectively reduced externalizing behavior problems in children in foster care, based on a study involving 335 foster and kinship families.

The intervention not only helped improve behavior in multiple children within the same household but also significantly reduced parental stress related to managing these behavior issues.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of the KEEP Foster Parent Intervention on Child and Sibling Behavior Problems and Parental Stress During a Randomized Implementation Trial. Price, JM., Roesch, S., Walsh, NE., et al.[2018]

The paper by Ward et al. highlights the development of a new program aimed at parents of children at high risk for behavioral problems in a deprived South African township, indicating a focus on early intervention in challenging environments.

It raises important questions about the necessity of creating new programs when effective ones already exist, suggesting a need for collaboration among program developers to identify the most effective strategies for different populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Commentary: Do we need new parenting programmes for different cultural groups or should we adapt those that already exist: a commentary on Ward et al. (2019). Thompson, M., Thompson, C.[2021]

A behavior modification training program for foster parents led to significant improvements in their parenting skills.

The program also enhanced the management of the children in their care, indicating its effectiveness in fostering better family dynamics.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A model for training foster parents in behavior modificiation techniques. Penn, JV.[2004]

A randomized control trial involving 700 foster and kinship parents in San Diego County tested the effectiveness of a parent management training (PMT) program, which has shown positive outcomes in other settings but had not been previously evaluated for foster parents.

The study highlights the importance of engaging stakeholders and involving parents in the training process, suggesting that PMT could improve child behavioral outcomes in foster care settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cascading implementation of a foster and kinship parent intervention. Chamberlain, P., Price, J., Reid, J., et al.[2021]

Children whose families completed the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP) were significantly less likely to face child welfare investigations or removals, indicating the program's effectiveness in improving child safety outcomes.

In contrast, simply being referred to NPP did not show any significant impact, highlighting the importance of program completion for achieving positive results in child welfare.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of the Nurturing Parenting Program Nurturing Skills for Families on child safety and permanency. Gross, M., Bhagwat, A., Cole, R.[2023]

A randomized trial involving 700 foster and kinship parents tested the KEEP intervention, which is based on the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care model, and found it significantly reduced child behavior problems compared to a control group.

Improvements in child behavior were linked to enhanced parenting practices, particularly benefiting high-risk children who initially reported more than six behavior problems per day.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prevention of behavior problems for children in foster care: outcomes and mediation effects. Chamberlain, P., Price, J., Leve, LD., et al.[2018]

In a study involving 384 children in specialized foster care, most participants showed significant improvement in various outcomes, highlighting the effectiveness of this intervention.

Longer stays in specialized foster care (up to two years and five months) were linked to better outcomes, particularly for younger children and those with fewer problems, suggesting that extended support can be beneficial.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Outcomes of specialized foster care in a managed child welfare services network. Cross, TP., Leavey, J., Mosley, PR., et al.[2019]

In a study involving 493 children who were previously reunified with their parents, participation in the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) did not significantly reduce reentry rates into foster care, with rates being 23.7% for SFP participants compared to 18.6% for the comparison group.

Key factors influencing reentry included child behavior problems, family poverty, and the timing of reunification, suggesting that while parenting interventions may improve skills, they may not directly affect the likelihood of children reentering foster care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of a Parenting Intervention on Foster Care Reentry After Reunification Among Substance-Affected Families: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Akin, BA., Brook, J., Lloyd, MH., et al.[2018]

Citations

1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40025284/

Tailoring the Chicago Parent Program for Foster and Kinship ... This study evaluates initial evidence of the acceptability and feasibility of adapting the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) for foster and kinship care.

2. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11121-025-01797-9

Tailoring the Chicago Parent Program for Foster and ... The adapted program was then delivered to 12 foster and kinship caregivers, who completed surveys and qualitative interviews to provide feedback ...

3. cdn.clinicaltrials.gov cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/35/NCT05856435/Prot_SAP_002.pdf

Adapting Chicago Parent Program for the Foster Care Setting CPP has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing behavior problems for children ages 2-5 (N > 500, primarily African American and Latinx youth), with the effect ...

4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39390601/

a randomized treatment-control prevention trial for foster and ... This study aims to examine the impact of the Chicago Parent Program adapted and customized for foster and kinship caregivers (CPP-FC), locally ...

5. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-problem-behavior-4-2023-ab574

Chicago Parent Program for Behavioral Problems in Foster ... The primary objective of this study is to tailor the Chicago Parent Program, an evidence-based parent training program, for the foster care setting and ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12064461/

Tailoring the Chicago Parent Program for Foster and Kinship ... This study evaluates initial evidence of the acceptability and feasibility of adapting the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) for foster and kinship care.

7. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05856435

NCT05856435 | Tailoring CPP for the Foster Care Setting The Chicago Parent Program for Foster Care FC consists of a 12-session parent training program that focuses on building caregiver-child relationships, ...