The primary goals of this study were to 1) examine the effectiveness of the KEEP (Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported) intervention in reducing foster child externalizing behavioral problems; 2) determine whether KEEP effects extend to more than one child in the same home; and 3) determine KEEP effectiveness in reducing parental stress linked to child behavioral problems.
Based on the principles of Parent Management Training, KEEP uses components of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care model. Under this model, foster and kinship caregivers receive 16 weeks of training and supervision in behavioral management techniques and caregiver support in a group context, facilitated by trained facilitators for 90 minutes each week. The current evaluation of KEEP obtained data from 335 foster and kinship families with children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Families were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. The interval range between the pre- and post-assessment was between 18 to 20 weeks. For most participants, baseline interviews started 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the intervention, and most were completed within 2 weeks following completion of the intervention. The Parent Daily Report Checklist was used to assess child behavior problems and the degree of parental stress associated with these problems. The evaluation found that the KEEP intervention delivered by a community agency was effective in reducing child behavioral problems. Results expanded prior research on KEEP by showing that the KEEP intervention was effective in reducing behavioral problems of more than one child in the same household and in reducing parental stress levels stemming from problem behaviors of the focal child. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 27 references