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Sleep in Children Placed in Out-of-home Care
Sponsor: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Summary
This project aims to contribute to the existing literature on sleep in children placed in out-of-home care by addressing current gaps and integrating the investigation of sleep and associated risk factors, including adverse childhood experiences, behavioral problems, parenting stress, and placement characteristics. First, the investigators will examine sleep problems and associated factors in three cross-sectional survey samples of 4- to 10-year-old children in (1) foster care, (2) residential care, and (3) the general population. Subsequently, a comparative analysis will assess differences in sleep and related characteristics across these three groups. In addition, this project will evaluate a trauma-informed sleep intervention for foster families with 2- to 5-year-old children through a randomized controlled trial, with the aim of improving sleep quality and related psychosocial outcomes within foster families.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
Any - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
730
Start Date
2026-10-01
Completion Date
2030-03
Last Updated
2026-09-15
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Sleep and Adjustment in Foster care Environments (SAFE) intervention
In the Sleep and Adjustment in Foster care Environments (SAFE) intervention group, foster parents willreceive 3 individual sessions in their own home, one week apart, 60 minutes each. Healthcare professionals with a master's degree in psychology will be trained to provide these sessions. SAFE is a brief, behavioral intervention, developed by prof. dr. Candice Alfano (Alfano et al., 2024). The intervention aims to help foster parents to provide young foster children to get the quality sleep they need to thrive. It focuses on the importance of sleep for children, how to create environments and interactions conducive to healthy sleep, and specific strategies for reducing different types of sleep problems.
Sleep Education Support
The Sleep Education Support (SES) control group will be e-mailed an informational booklet about sleep in young children. Caregivers will be given the message that they can read the booklet as much as they like.