Pilot randomised trial of eConnect for Foster Parents

This pilot trial aims to evaluate the implementation and preliminary effectiveness of eConnect for Foster Parents (eConnect-FP), which is an adaptation of the Connect and eConnect Online parent program (Bao & Moretti, 2023; Moretti, Pasalich, & O’Donnell, 2018; Moretti, O’Donnell, & Kelly, 2020). eConnect-FP has been tailored to the specific needs of foster caregivers and their children in care. The intervention is trauma-informed and incorporates key principles from attachment theory. These intervention features are critical to promoting the wellbeing and resilience of children in foster care who have histories of trauma and disrupted attachment relationships. eConnect-FP will be implemented by practitioners trained in the manualised intervention and provided with ongoing consultation and feedback. Two practitioners will co-facilitate each parent group of around 6 foster caregivers. Groups will meet online weekly for 1.5 hours over 9 weeks. Each Connect session introduces an attachment principle that relates to child development, trauma and foster parenting, and captures a key aspect of the caregiver-child relationship and common parenting challenges (e.g., empathy, conflict, growth and change). Experiential activities, including role-plays and reflection exercises, are used to illustrate each principle and build foster parenting knowledge and skills to promote secure attachment. Practitioners’ adherence to the intervention protocol will be assessed via direct observations of the facilitators delivering the program using a sample of video recordings.