This article presents the theoretical and empirical rationale for an intervention that targets three critical needs of infants and young children in foster care. First, foster children tend to give behavioral signals that lead even nurturing caregivers to provide non-nurturing care. Foster parents, therefore, need services that help them to reinterpret children's behavioral signals. Second, some caregivers are not comfortable providing nurturance. When surrogate caregivers do not provide nurturance to foster children, their children are at risk for a range of problematic outcomes. The second intervention component, therefore, targets caregiver difficulties in providing nurturance. Third, foster children are at risk for behavioral and biobehavioral dysregulation as the result of disrupted relationships with previous caregivers. The final intervention component helps caregivers provide children with a predictable interpersonal environment such that children develop better regulatory capabilities.RESUMEN: Este ensayo presenta la razón teórica y empírica fundamental para una intervención dedicada a tres necesidades críticas de los infantes y niños jóvenes que están bajo el cuidado de hogares ajenos. Primero, estos niños tienden a mostrar señales de conducta que llevan, aun a las personas más cuidadosas en la crianza, a prestar cuidados no apropiados. Los padres que sirven como protectores de estos niños necesitan, por tanto, de servicios que les ayuden a ellos a reinterpretar las señales de conducta que los niños muestran. Segundo, algunas personas que han aceptado niños bajo su cuidado no se sienten cómodas en el proceso de crianza. Cuando esas personas que se han subrrogado en el papel de los padres no proveen la crianza adecuada a los niños bajo su cuidado, éstos están bajo riesgo en cuanto a una variedad de resultados problemáticos. El segundo componente de la intervención, por tanto, está dedicado a las dificultades que enfrentan los padres subrrogados en el proceso de crianza. Tercero, los niños colocados bajo el cuidado de hogares ajenos se encuentran bajo riesgo en cuanto a la falta de regulación de su conducta y comportamiento biológico como resultado de relaciones perjudiciales con otras personas que les prestaron cuidado anteriormente. El componente final de la intervención ayuda a quienes prestan el cuidado a proveerles a los niños tal ambiente interpersonal predecible que los niños desarrollan una mejor capacidad regulatoria.RÉ SUMÉ : Cet article présente la logique théorique et empirique pour une intervention qui cible trois besoins critiques des bébés et petits enfants placés en famille de placement. Tout d'abord, les enfants Support for this research was provided by NIMH Grants R01 52135 and K02 01782 to the first author. Our appreciation to Gerri Robinson and Yvonne Gilchrist of Baltimore City Department of Social Services; and to Carlise Giddens, Laura Miles, and Kathy Goldsmith of Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families; and to case workers, foster families...

This study examined associations between mother–infant nighttime interactions and mother–infant attachment when infants were 12 months old. Forty-four mother–infant pairs participated in this study. For three consecutive nights at home, babies were observed in their cribs using a digital video system. Mothers reported on their nighttime interactions with their babies using a self-report diary and completed a questionnaire regarding child temperament. Attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Mothers of securely attached infants had nighttime interactions that were generally more consistent, sensitive and responsive than those of insecurely attached infants. Specifically, in secure dyads, mothers generally picked up and soothed infants when they fussed or cried after an awakening.

A B S T R AC TMentoring programmes show significant promise for enhancing the well-being of youth with complex needs. Research indicates that high quality mentoring, although difficult to achieve, positively impacts youth development across behavioural, social, emotional and academic domains. The difficulty of sustaining long-term matches between mentors and youth, however, remains an important concern for the field of mentoring, as foreshortened matches can be harmful to youth. The 4Results mentoring programme has been identified as a Promising Practice through the Washington State Inventory of childserving behavioural and mental health programmes and has developed a unique infrastructure to support critical programme values such as match longevity. In 7 years, the programme has successfully retained 98% of mentors for at least 1 year with an average match length of 3.7 years. The following article describes the programme's guiding philosophy and approach to recruiting and training mentors in the context of existing best practices research.

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