Parent training interventions are among the best-researched strategies to improve the adjustment of children within their families. In 2006, group-based parent training interventions were further promoted by the publication of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the revised edition of Drawing on the Evidence (British Psychological Society, 2006). This guidance endorses parent training based on Social Learning Theory as an intervention to help children with conduct disorder. It provides helpful advice on the process of parent training that might also be applicable to training for foster and adoptive parents. Kim Golding explores the development of parent training for helping parents and carers of children living in foster care and adoptive homes. The difficulties that some of these children display are complex and enduring. Parent training programmes, as part of a package of care, may be a helpful intervention for children demonstrating challenging behaviours within the context of neurodevelopmental difficulties and poor early attachment experience.
AdoptionUK, ‘It's a Piece of Cake’ — Parenting hurt children, training programme, www.adoptionuk.org/trainginsight.asp; last accessed 21 August 2007.
2.
AllenJVostanisP, ‘The impact of abuse and trauma on the developing child: an evaluation of a training programme for foster carers and supervising social workers’, Adoption & Fostering29:3, pp 68–81, 2005.
3.
BowlbyJ, A Secure Base: Clinical applications of attachment theory (second edition), London: Routledge, 1998.
4.
BriesmeisterJSchaeferC E, (eds), Handbook of Parent Training: Parents as co-therapists for children's behaviour (second edition), Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
5.
British Psychological Society (BPS), Drawing on the Evidence, London: Faculty for Children and Young People (CYP)/BPS in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health (England), the BPS Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) and the CAMHS Evidence Based Practice Unit at University College London, 2006.
6.
CairnsK, Attachment, Trauma and Resilience, London: BAAF, 2002.
7.
CairnsKStanawayC, Learn the Child: Helping looked after children to learn — a good practice guide for social workers, carers and teachers, London: BAAF, 2004.
8.
DaddsM R, ‘Families, children and the development of dysfunction’, Developmental Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry32, pp 8–22, 1995.
9.
DentH R, ‘The zoo of human consciousness: adversity, brain development and health’, in GoldingK SDentH RNissimRStottE, Thinking Psychologically about Children who are Looked After and Adopted: Space for reflection, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
10.
DentH RGoldingK S, ‘Engaging the network: consultation for looked after and adopted children’, in GoldingK S, ibid, 2006.
11.
Department of Health, Quality Protects: Framework for action, Wetherby: DH, 1998.
12.
Department of Health, National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, London: The Stationery Office, 2004.
13.
DouglasHBrennanA, ‘Containment, reciprocity and behaviour management: preliminary evaluation of a brief early intervention (the Solihull Approach) for families with infants and young children’, The International Journal of Infant Observation7:1, pp 89–107, 2004.
14.
DozierM, ‘Attachment-based treatment for vulnerable children’, Attachment & Human Development5:3, pp 253–57, 2003.
15.
DozierM, ‘Challenges of foster care’, Attachment & Human Development7:1, pp 27–30, 2005.
16.
FonagyPGergelyGJuristE LTargetM, Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self, New York: Other Press, 2002.
GoldingK, ‘Parent management training as an intervention to promote adequate parenting’, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry5:3, pp 357–71, 2000.
19.
GoldingK S, ‘Finding the light at the end of the tunnel: parenting interventions for adoptive and foster carers’, in GoldingK SDentH RNissimRStottE, Thinking Psychologically about Children who are Looked After and Adopted: Space for reflection, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2006a.
20.
GoldingK S, ‘“Forgotten Miseries”: Can attachment theory help guide interventions?’, in Golding, ibid, 2006b.
21.
GoldingK S, Fostering Attachments with Children who are Looked After and Adopted: A group for foster carers and adoptive parents — Training Manual, Unpublished document, 2006c.
22.
GoldingKPickenW, ‘Group work for foster carers caring for children with complex problems’, Adoption & Fostering28:1, pp 25–37, 2004.
23.
GoldingK SDentH RNissimRStottE, Thinking Psychologically about Children who are Looked After and Adopted: Space for reflection, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
24.
GordonC, ‘A parenting programme for parenting children with disturbed attachment patterns’, Adoption & Fostering23:4, pp 49–56, 1999.
25.
HartALuckockB, Developing Adoption Support and Therapy, London/Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2004.
26.
HendersonKSargentN, ‘Developing the Incredible Years Webster-Stratton parenting skills training programme for use with adoptive families’, Adoption & Fostering29:4, pp 34–44, 2005.
27.
Hill-ToutJPithouseALoweK, ‘Training foster carers in a preventative approach to children who challenge: mixed messages from research’, Adoption & Fostering27:1, pp 47–56, 2003.
28.
HollinC REppsK JKendrickD J, Managing Behavioural Treatment: Policy and practice with delinquent adolescents, London/New York: Routledge, 1995.
29.
HoweD, Child Abuse and Neglect: Attachment, development and intervention, Basingstoke: Palgrave, Macmillan, 2005.
30.
HughesD A, ‘An attachment-based treatment of maltreated children and young people’, Attachment & Human Development6:3, pp 263–78, 2004.
31.
JamesB, Handbook for Treatment of Attachment-trauma Problems in Children, New York: Free Press, 1994.
32.
KazdinA E, ‘Parent management training: evidence, outcomes and issues’, Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry36:10, pp 1349–56, 1997.
33.
KinniburghK JBlausteinMSpinazzolaJvan der KolkB A, ‘Attachment, self regulation and competency: a comprehensive intervention framework for children with complex trauma’, Psychiatric Annals35:5, pp 424–30, 2005.
34.
MinnisHDevineC, ‘The effect of foster carer training on the emotional and behavioural functioning of looked after children’, Adoption & Fostering25:1, pp 44–54, 2001.
35.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Review of Parent-training and Education Programmes in the Management of Children with Conduct Disorders, Appraisal consultation document, London: NICE/SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence), 2006.
36.
O'DellS, ‘Training parents in behaviour modification: a review’, Psychological Bulletin81:7, pp 418–33, 1974.
37.
PallettCScottSBlackebyKYuleWWeissmanR, ‘Fostering changes: cognitive-behavioural approach to help foster carers manage children’, Adoption & Fostering26:1, pp 39–48, 2002.
38.
PattersonG R, ‘Performance models for antisocial boys’, American Psychologist41:4, pp 32–44, 1986.
39.
PuckeringCRogersJMillsM, ‘Process and evaluation of a group intervention for mothers with parenting difficulties’, Child Abuse Review3, pp 299–310, 1994.
QuintonDRushtonADanceCMayesD, Joining New Families: A study of adoption and fostering in middle childhood, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
42.
RichardsonK, ‘Interactions in development’, in OatesJ, The Foundations of Child Development, Oxford: Blackwell/Milton Keynes: The Open University, 1994.
43.
SandersM R, ‘Triple P — Positive Parenting Program: towards an empirically validated multi-level parenting and family support strategy for the prevention of behavioral and emotional problems in children’, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review2, pp 71–90, 1999.
44.
SchofieldGBeekM, ‘Providing a secure base: parenting children in long-term foster care’, Attachment & Human Development7:1, pp 3–25, 2005.
45.
SchofieldGBeekM, Attachment for Foster Care and Adoption: A training programme, London: BAAF, 2006.
46.
SchoreA N, Affect Regulation and the Origin of Self: The neurobiology of emotional development, Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum, 1994.
47.
SchoreA N, ‘Early relational trauma, disorganized attachment and the development of a predisposition to violence’, in SolomonM FSiegelD J (eds), Healing Trauma: Attachment, mind, body and brain, New York: W W Norton & Co, 2003.
48.
SiegelD J, The Developing Mind: Toward a neurobiology of interpersonal experience, New York: Guilford Press, 1999.
van der KolkB A, ‘Child abuse and victimisation’ (Editorial), Psychiatric Annals35:5, pp 374–78, 2005.
51.
Webster-StrattonC, ‘The Incredible Years: a training series for the prevention and treatment of conduct problems in young children’, in HibbsE DJensenP S (eds), Psychosocial Treatments for Child and Adolescent Disorders: Empirically based strategies for clinical practice (second edition), Washington DC: American Psychological Association, 2005.
52.
Webster-StrattonCHancockL, ‘Parent training for parents of young children with conduct problems: context, networks and therapeutic processes’, in BriesmeisterJSchaeferC E (eds), Handbook of Parent Training: Parents as co-therapists for children's behaviour (second edition), Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
