This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council on behalf of University of Glasgow for the attention of all Early Years and Childcare Practitioners.
Infant mental health
The University of Glasgow has published findings from the Best Services Trial (BeST), which examined the effectiveness of an infant mental health service based on the New Orleans Intervention Model (NIM). Between 2012 and 2021, 382 families with 488 children aged 0-5-years-old entering foster care in England and Scotland were randomly selected to receive NIM or social work services as usual. NIM was delivered by the Glasgow Infant and Family Team (GIFT) and the London Infant and Family Team (LIFT). Despite NIM being delivered to a high standard, the UK legal context resulted in less than 70% of families receiving the intervention to which they were randomised. For NIM to be clinically effective in the UK, the research states that major changes to the systems supporting young children in foster care are needed, including: authoritative legal oversight with strict adherence to court-mandated processes and timescales; sufficient time allowed to enable families to be offered a trial of treatment; and dual registration of foster carers as potential adopters.
Read research article: The BeST? Services Trial