Adaptation and Evaluation of the Effects of Relational Intervention to Promote Sensitive Caregiver-Child Interactions, Prevent Child Abuse and Institutionalization in Families at Risk

Proposal for an inter-institutional agreement between the Externado de Colombia University and the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare ICBF, in cooperation with the Universidad del Rosario, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and the Universidad de Laval, in Canada, for adaptation to the Colombian context of the Attachment-Based Relational Intervention model for its application as a modality and perspective of ICBF care in high-risk families with children between 0 and 5 years of age.

This research project seeks to carry out an adaptation, implementation and evaluation for the Colombian context of the Short Intervention Program based on attachment of the Child Protection Center of the Quebec-Canada government (Center Jeunesse de Québec). The purpose of this intervention is to respond to the needs of families at low and high risk of vulnerability, as a strategy for the prevention of child abuse and for the strengthening of sensitive interactions between children and their daily caregivers. This project aims to provide evidence and arguments for the formulation of public policies, the definition of standards, with local and national impact. To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to establish synergies between different sectors and academic communities at the national and international level, which allow building on what has been built and consolidating technical and financial support that enables the development of the project.

Methodological design of a study of two cases.
• Implementation of two case studies, adjustment of evaluation and intervention processes and protocols.
• Design of a pilot study with 10 cases.
• Implementation of the pilot study and adjustments to training, intervention and evaluation protocols.
• Randomized study design with 40 cases and two groups: intervention group and control group.
• Implementation of the randomized study.
• Analysis and discussion of quantitative and qualitative results of the randomized study.
• Writing scientific articles and research report book.
• Socialization and dissemination of research results in national and international scientific and public policy events.