Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Prevention

1

• Welcome

H O P S C O T C H
Little Delinquents ? Big Toddlers? Presented by
Jenne Leiper and Sue Wick
2
National level implementations
Site 1
Site 2
Treatment Foster Care Consultants Inc., Eugene
Oregon USA
Site 3
National Implemen-tation Team
D C F S
Site 4
Site 5
Site 6
3
Rationale for MTFC-P

• The pre-school period is critical for outcomes
• Social and emotional development
• Mental health
• Education

4

• The sites for therapeutic intervention are
• the foster home
• school
• community
• birth family
• the childs next placement
• There is emphasis on building skills and positive
  behaviour
• Placements typically last for 9-12 months

5

• The MTFC-P model provides-
• Increased emphasis on emotional self regulation
  and promoting attachment
• Increased emphasis on the childs' development
  links with their health
• Increased emphasis on school readiness
• Relationships with caregivers
• Peer relations

6
Children in foster care are a clinical population

• Up to 50 of foster children have symptoms of
  psychological disorders (e.g., Glisson, 1994,
  1996 Horowitz, Simms, Farrington, 1994 Stein,
  Evans, Mazumdar, Rae-Grant, 1996 Trupin,
  Tarico, Benson, Jemelka, McClellan, 1993).
• McIntyre and Keesler (1986) Foster children
  have nearly nine times the relative risk of
  psychopathology compared to non-foster children,
  and specific syndromes are between 2 and 32 times
  more likely to occur in foster children.

7
MTFC-P Outcome Data

• Placement stability
• Impact on stress regulation and behaviour
• Impact on attachment
• Impact on stress regulation (cortisol) and link
  to behaviour

8
MTFC-P evaluation results
9
Concordance between change in behaviour and
change in cortisol

• Significant associations between change in
  behaviour and change in morning cortisol
• Global problem behaviours
• Anxiety
• Antisocial behaviour

10
Summary of MTFC-P results to date

• Relative to regular foster care, the MTFC-P
  scheme appears to positively impact the
  following
• Placement outcomes
• Behaviour problems
• Stress regulation (cortisol levels)
• Attachment
• For children in regular foster care, reductions
  were observed in anxiety, but not for global
  behavioural problems, and only for those children
  with typical levels of cortisol coming into the
  programme

11

• Thank you

H O P S C O T C H
PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT FOSTERING Beckholme Family
Centre 8a, Avenue Close, Harrogate, HG2 7LJ. Tel
01423 887869