Effects of a video feedback parent training program during child welfare visitation

Abstract

Behavioral parent training programs have documented efficacy for improving behaviors among parents and their children and are frequently used by child welfare agencies to prevent removal of a child from the parental home or to facilitate reunification. Although an ideal time for parent training might be during supervised visits where parents may practice skills with their children under the guidance and support of a therapist or caseworker, this is not typically the case. Most often, parents within the child welfare system receive parent training in small groups without their children present, and to date, few studies have examined effects of behavioral parent training interventions during supervised visitation. In this study, concurrent multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to examine effects of a behavioral parent training program, Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), on parental skill acquisition with four mothers who had lost custody of their children but were being considered for reunification. Children emitted little or no problem behaviors during baseline or intervention, so parenting behavior was the primary dependent variable. Results obtained across participants documented a clear functional relation between implementation of the FIND intervention and increases in developmentally supportive parenting behaviors. Results of social validity and contextual fit measures suggest the intervention was perceived by mothers to be positive, feasible, and appropriate within the child welfare context. Practical and conceptual implications, limitations of this study, and directions for future research are discussed.

Understanding factors that promote and limit the use of video guidance in child protection services: A SWOT analysis

“…Such resource‐based approaches have proven to be effective ways to understand and improve parent–child interactions (Haavind, ). Marte Meo has also been reported by mothers to be positive, feasible, and appropriate within the CPS context (Nese, Anderson, Ruppert, & Fisher, ).…”

Social and Emotional Intervention Research as Justice: A Case for Accountability

“…Furthermore, the tools we use within our intervention research in special education are decontextualized and applied in very rigid frameworks without considering historical racism as part of the context in which many Black participants live (Severini et al, 2018). Engaging in an intentional understanding of this contextual history in which young children and families thrive necessitates designing interventions that match the features of their habitat from the bottom up (Nese et al, 2016). Thus, an inflexible approach to intervention implementation without a deep knowledge and understanding of how such practices disempower groups of children and families not only makes our attempts futile but misaligned (Jagers et al, 2019).…”

“…The consideration of contextual fit is especially important when designing practices that have empirical value for children who are BIPOC, as well as strength-based approaches to address the social-emotional development of children from ethnically diverse backgrounds (Nese et al, 2016). Often, interventions may need to be adapted or conformed to the resources and approaches provided in these contexts.…”