Feasibility and Acceptability of a Trauma-Informed Behavioral Sleep Intervention for Young Children Placed in and Adopted from Foster Care

Objectives To investigate the feasibility and acceptability of Sleep and Adjustment in Foster Environments for Toddlers and Preschoolers (SAFE-T), a brief trauma-informed behavioral sleep intervention for young children in and adopted from foster care. Specific aims were to 1) determine the feasibility of recruiting, enrolling, and retaining foster/adoptive caregivers/parents in a pilot randomized controlled trial of SAFE-T delivered via telehealth; 2) examine treatment credibility, expectancy, satisfaction, and adherence; and 3) obtain feedback from caregivers/parents regarding what they liked, disliked, and would recommend be changed.Method N = 45 caregivers/parents of children aged 2–5 years were randomized to the SAFE-T intervention (n = 22) or an education control condition (n = 23). Caregivers/parents completed assessments at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.Results Of 78 screened caregivers/parents, 67 were eligible and 45 were enrolled. In the SAFE-T group, 21/22 caregivers/parents completed all intervention sessions and the post-treatment assessment; in the control group, 20/23 completed the post-treatment assessment. Caregivers/parents who received SAFE-T reported higher post-treatment satisfaction than those in the control group, (p = .005, Hedges’ g = 0.92). Caregivers’/parents’ feedback regarding SAFE-T intervention content was favorable overall.Conclusions Findings support SAFE-T delivered via telehealth as a feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory intervention among caregivers/parents of young children in and adopted from foster care. Future implementation studies in real-world settings (e.g. behavioral health clinics, foster care agencies) are warranted.