Strengthening Families through Trauma-Informed Parenting: Results from a Multi-Site Randomized Control Trial of the Breakthrough Parenting Curriculum

Background and Purpose: The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) significantly transformed the child welfare system by providing federal funding for evidence-based interventions aimed at strengthening families and preventing child maltreatment. However, the number of interventions rated as evidence-based by the Prevention Clearinghouse remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a multi-site RCT of the Breakthrough Parenting Curriculum (BPC). The BPC is a 10-week parenting group for parents who have experienced trauma and are involved with, or at risk for involvement with, the child welfare system. Core components include psychoeducation, skills training, strengthening support systems, mutual aid, and co-facilitation by a parent with lived experience and clinician. Our study examined whether the BPC is effective at improving parent, child, and family well-being.

Methods: Parents were recruited from community-based agencies in two states and randomized to the BPC group or waitlist control group. Participants completed surveys at four time points (baseline, midpoint, post, and 6-month follow-up) which included standardized scales to measure child wellbeing (Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire), parent wellbeing (Parental Stress Scale), and family wellbeing (Child-Parent Relationship Scale and Protective Factors Survey). Additionally, scales were developed to measure trauma-related knowledge and skills. Multilevel modeling was used to examine differential change over time between the BPC and control groups. The sample of 154 parents (treatment n = 85; control n = 69) was diverse in regard to race/ethnicity (71.5% White/Non-Latinx, 11.9% Black, 10.6% multiracial, and 5.3% Latinx) and urbanicity (39.2% rural, 39.9% suburban, and 20.9% urban). Most were female (85.6%).

Results: Parents who participated in the BPC showed significant increases from baseline to post in trauma-related knowledge (b = 0.52, p = .002) and trauma-responsive parenting skills (b = 0.56, p = .001). Compared to parents in the control group, those who participated in the BPC demonstrated significant larger growth in social support (b = 0.52, p = .040) and nurturing and attachment behaviors (b = 0.32, p = .041). Post-hoc analyses suggested intervention benefits may vary by urbanicity. Among parents living in urban/suburban areas, participation in the BPC was associated with significant decreases in conflict with their child (b = -2.81, p = .040) and their child’s conduct problems (b = -0.89, p = .034); among those living in rural areas, BPC participation was associated with significant increases in concrete support (b = 0.61, p = .015).

Conclusions and Implications: The BPC is a promising trauma-informed parenting intervention for diverse populations. As states continue to implement prevention-focused programs under FFPSA, expanding the pipeline of rigorously evaluated interventions is critical. The BPC may represent a viable community-based option to help address gaps in available evidence-based services and supports families at risk of child welfare involvement. Further research is needed to understand the factors leading to the differential effects by urbanicity for child wellbeing.