Early Intervention Foster Care: A Model for Preventing Risk in Young Children Who Have Been Maltreated

Abstract

Treatment foster care (TFC) allows troubled youth to remain in the community and live in a family setting. Prior studies suggest that TFC may be an effective alternative to more restrictive interventions. However, most TFC programs have been designed to treat elementary school age youth and adolescents. At a time when the foster care population is burgeoning, and the proportion of very young children in the system is increasing, there is a need for TFC programs specifically designed to meet the needs of maltreated preschoolers. In this article we describe an early intervention foster care program that targets 3 areas: behavior problems, emotional regulation, and developmental delays. The theoretical model for the program is also described, along with recommendations for the implementation of similar programs.