New Article Feature: The Effects of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Maltreated Children and Adolescents

A new systematic review and meta-analysis led by AYM doctoral trainee Andrea Krishnapillai outlines that the certainty in evidence surrounding Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) for youth exposed to maltreatment remains low.

The study leveraged data from eight randomized controlled trials identified from five databases. Analyses indicated that MTFC, when compared to usual care, may have “little to no greater effect on internalizing symptoms at 5-6 months but may slightly reduce externalizing symptoms at 3-12 months.” The long-term effects of MTFC on mental ill health outcomes are still uncertain, as well as effects on suicide attempts or ideation, involvement with authority, and positive parent-child interactions relative to usual care.

Based on these results, the authors suggest that quality RCTs with long-term measurement and integration of children and youth’s perspectives are needed. Decision-makers must balance these findings with the resources available to provide MTFC to this population.

Check out the review, entitled “Effects of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Maltreated Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” authored by Andrea Krishnapillai, Lindsay Oad, Taylar Cassidy, and Drs. Melissa Kimber and Nancy Santesso.

This article was published in Child Protection and Practice for their July 2025 edition.