Circle of Security (CoS)
| Name | Circle of Security (CoS) |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Infants (0-2 years) Early childhood (3-5 years) Middle childhood (6-12 years) Parents At-risk or vulnerable |
| CfC Objective | Healthy Young Families Supporting Families and Parents |
| Organisation | Circle of Security International |
| Delivery Setting | Community based; home-based |
| Description | Parent/child psychotherapy designed to assist parents to provide their children with the emotional support needed to develop secure attachment, resilience and enhanced school readiness. |
| Delivered to | At-risk children aged 0-6 years and their parents. |
| Delivered by | Trained facilitators |
| Program Structure | This program is delivered to groups in community settings, or in participants' homes. There are eight 90 minute ‘chapters’/ components of the program:
|
| Training | Practitioners are required to undertake a training course. For information about training available in Australia, go to: circleofsecurityinternational.com/trainings |
| Cost | Indicative costs are:
|
| Contact | Email: [email protected] Website: circleofsecurityinternational.com |
| Evaluation and effectiveness | A longitudinal mixed-method quasi-experimental study with 75 mother-child pairs found the program had a significant positive impact on the attachment–caregiving patterns of high-risk toddlers and pre-schoolers and their primary caregivers (Hoffman et al. 2006).
A RCT was undertaken on the home-visiting version CoS in Washington among a sample of economically stressed mothers with irritable newborns at risk of insecure attachment (Cassidy, Woodhouse et al. 2011). Participation in the home visiting program significantly reduced the risk of insecure attachment.
Hoffman, KT., Marvin, RS., Cooper, G. & Powell , B. (2006). Changing toddlers’ and pre-schoolers’ attachment classifications: The circle of security intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(6), 1017-1026.
Cassidy, J., Woodhouse, S., Sherman, L., Stupica, B., & Lejuez, C. (2011). Enhancing infant attachment security: An examination of treatment efficacy and differential susceptibility. Journal of Development and Psychopathology, 23(131), 148. |