Behavioral Parent Training in Child Welfare: Maintenance and Booster Training

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of a 30-hr behavioral parent training program at increasing skill accuracy. However, it remains unknown whether skills acquisitions are maintained on a long-term basis. Few studies have evaluated the maintenance of skills learned during behavioral parent training for foster parents. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to assess skill maintenance 8 to 35.5 months following the initial 30-hr training program and (b) to evaluate whether a 6-hr booster training would raise caregivers' skill performance to levels similar to those observed during posttests of the initial training. Overall results show partial maintenance of skills over time and positive effects of booster training for skills that had not been maintained. Results also show variability in individual participant and individual skill scores during various phases of the analysis, suggesting idiosyncratic differences with regard to initial training, maintenance, and booster training.