Fostering educational prosperity: A randomized controlled trial of home tutoring in foster care

The educational gap between children in out-of-home care and their non-placed peers is well-documented. However, tutoring stands out as a promising intervention to raise children's attainment care. This study randomized 105 foster (62% girls, aged 7–15 years [M = 10.3, SD 2.0]) the home program Foster Caregivers Tutors (FCT) or regular public school services (treatment usual [TAU]). In FCT group, caregivers tutored for 2.5 h/week 40 weeks. effect measured learning developmental outcomes, including reading math ability, skills, IQ, executive function, psychosocial function. Follow-up was 17.5 months after baseline. results show significant over time both groups on IQ (effect size [ES] 0.40, P < 0.001), verbal comprehension (ES 0.29 0.02) perceptual reasoning 0.60, 0.001) by WISC IV. Neither nor TAU provided any academic recovery progression skills These findings, implications practice future efforts support schooling of are discussed.