Enhancing adoptive parenting: A randomized controlled trial

The aim was to conduct a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate two parenting programmes designed for adopters of children late placed from care. Adoptive parents, with children between 3 and 8 years who were screened to have serious behavioural problems early in the placement, participated in home-based, manualized, parenting programmes delivered by trained and supervised family social workers. The adopters who agreed to join the study were randomly allocated to one of two parenting interventions or to a “services as usual” group. Baseline, immediate post-intervention and six-month follow-ups were assessed using questionnaires and adopter interviews. No cases were lost to follow-up at any point and satisfaction was high with both parenting interventions. At the six-month follow-up, a significant difference (p < 0.007) was found for “satisfaction with parenting” in favour of the intervention group (Effect Size d = 0.7). Negative parenting approaches were reduced in the intervention group....