Can early foster care boost a Child's brain and emotional growth?

NCT ID NCT04165746

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at how placing young children (under 24 months) into foster care quickly, along with training for their foster parents, affects their thinking, emotions, and brain development. Researchers will follow 220 children in Brazil, comparing those in foster care to those who remain in institutions. The goal is to understand if early intervention can improve long-term outcomes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Foster care placement and caregiver training
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that early foster care and support for caregivers improve children's brain development, thinking skills, and emotional health.
What could go wrong: This is an observational study, not a test of a new drug or therapy. Results may not apply to all children or settings, and benefits may vary widely.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 220 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2023

Expected to finish

Mar 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Up to 24 months

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * newly entering the institution system in and near São Paulo, Brazil, and the institution director or foster parent is the guardian at the time of baseline, * at the time of baseline assessment the child is less than 24 months old, * the child's birth weight must be at or above 2500 grams; none should be small or large for dates. Exclusion Criteria: * the child does not have a neurological or other genetic condition that severely impairs typical development (e.g. Cerebral Palsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Down Syndrome) * the child is below 2500 grams.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Behavior Language

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Behavioral and neural patterns of attention Brain function Cognitive ability Psychopathology Socioemotional development

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Can early foster care boost a Child's brain and emotional growth?

What the study statuses mean