Based on Research Conducted at OSLC
Five-year trial testing the efficacy of a preventive intervention designed to reduce risk and improve long-term outcomes for preschoolers in the foster care system.
Project Overview
Early Intervention Foster Care (EIFC) was a 5 year randomized trial to test the efficacy of a preventive intervention designed to reduce risk and improve long-term outcomes preschool-aged children in the foster care system. The EIFC intervention is a developmentally-focused approach to addressing the behavioral and developmental problems common in this population. Outcomes of interest included foster care disruption rates, rates of reunification with biological parents and other successful long-term placements, changes in behavior and cognitive functioning, and success in school. We also examined whether changes in young children’s behavioral regulation are connected to changes in areas of the brain related to stress response. In order to examine this question, saliva samples were collected from the study children to test for cortisol levels. Over the 5 years of the project, a total of 180 children between the ages of 3 and 5 were enrolled in a 24 month assessment protocol.
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health