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. 2013 Jan 1;22(5):388-406.
doi: 10.1080/1067828X.2013.788884.

Preventing Child Behavior Problems and Substance Use: The Pathways Home Foster Care Reunification Intervention

David S Degarmo  1 , John B Reid, Becky A Fetrow, Philip A Fisher, Karla D Antoine
Affiliations

Preventing Child Behavior Problems and Substance Use: The Pathways Home Foster Care Reunification Intervention

David S Degarmo et al. J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse. .

Abstract

This paper evaluated the Pathways Home manualized selective preventive intervention designed to prevent reunification failures once children are returned home to their biological parent(s) after first time stays in foster care (n = 101). The theoretically based intervention focused on support and parent management practices designed to prevent the development of child behavior problems including internalizing and externalizing problems, and substance use. Intent to treat analyses employed probability growth curve approaches for repeated telephone assessments over 16 weeks of intervention. Findings showed that relative to services as usual reunification families, the Pathways Home families demonstrated better parenting strategies that were in turn associated with reductions in problem behaviors over time. Growth in problem behaviors in turn predicted foster care re-entry. Maternal substance use cravings were a risk factor for growth in problem behaviors that were buffered by participation in the Pathways Home intervention.

Keywords: foster care; parenting; prevention; reunification; substance use.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Observed proportion of sample using encouragement based parenting strategies over time by group condition. Time period covers the Phase one 16-week intervention period using two weekly phone calls for collecting the Parent Daily Report (PDR).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Observed counts of total problem behaviors over time by group condition. Time period covers the Phase one 16-week intervention period using two weekly phone calls for collecting the Parent Daily Report (PDR).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Summary of final findings controlling for risk factors in the HGLM and logistic regression models. *p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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