A Rising Tide: The potential & possibilities of community-based Parenting Supports Adrienne Streek – FPI Coordinator Sarah-Jane Gerber – FPI Lead Researcher.

A Rising Tide: The potential & possibilities of

community-based Parenting Supports

Adrienne Streek – FPI Coordinator Sarah-Jane Gerber – FPI Lead Researcher

Fingal Parenting Initiative

The Fingal Parenting Initiative was developed in 2010 by the Fingal Children’s Services Committee in order to address local demand for parenting support.

The Fingal Parenting Initiative is a collaboration within and across a range of local level organisations. These include; pre-school services, public health nurses, social work teams, family resource centres and community development projects in Fingal.

The overall aim of the Fingal Parenting Initiative is to strengthen the capacity of childcare providers, increase parental wellbeing and enhance family support services in order to improve outcomes for children and families in Fingal.

Fingal County Childcare Committee Blanchardstown Area Partnership

Barnardos Child & Family Agency

County Landscape • Fingal County covers an area of 450

square kilometres (173 square miles)

• The population of Fingal as per the 2011 Census is 273,991 (over 6% of the national population)

• 33 of the 42 Electoral Districts are inclined toward affluence with strong indicators of deprivation and disadvantage in Dublin 15 and Balbriggan-Urban.

• Fingal is the ‘youngest’ county in Ireland

Fingal Parenting Initiative

Universal access to a suite of supports including:

• Parent Workshops• Online support and information• Social networking• Local links and contacts (networks and multiagency collaboration)• Parent Support Programmes (7 weeks)

Key Deliverables

• 4 established link sites/hubs• 5000 + website visits since 2011• 10 parent workshops (400 + parents)• 80 trained facilitators delivering courses • Accreditation of local facilitators• 35 sites for delivery of parenting programmes• 80 parenting programmes (7 week) delivered to over 800 families• Direct engagement with over 1200 families in Fingal

and still going……

Evidence Base

• Strong evidence for effectiveness of parenting programmes • Growing evidence base that attests to the efficacy of Parents

Plus Programmes • Recent study in community setting

(Kilroy, Sharry, Flood & Guerin, 2010)

Can Parents Plus replicate these findings in community settings with delivery by early years educators and community support

services?

MethodologyMeasures that are universal, standardised and widely used:

• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire– measures parent perceived strengths and difficulties for the child

• Parent Stress Scale – measures parental stress

• Kansas Parenting Satisfaction Scale – measures parents satisfaction with their parenting skills

Results• N = 286 programme completers (continued evaluation)• Guardians: 85% mothers, age range 19 – 70 years (average age

35.44) • Children: 62% boys, age range 6 months – 7 years (average age

3.59)• Significant reductions in parental stress and child difficulties &

significant increases in parenting satisfaction after the 7 week programme.

• Large to medium effect sizes

Measure N Entire Sample Mean (SD)

t (df) Effect Size

Clinical Range Mean

(SD)

t (df) Effect Size

Pre Post Cohen’s

d Pre Post Cohen’s

d Parent Stress 286 41.83

(9.15) 36.18 (8.46)

12.34 (285)

.73 46.93 (8.42)

40.39 (9.51)

6.81 (84)

.74

Parenting Satisfaction

277 14.27 (3.26)

16.66 (2.58)

-13.15 (276)

.81 12.34 (3.01)

15.14 (2.72)

-7.03 (82)

.77

Emotional Symptoms

279 2.59 (2.12)

1.95 (1.91)

6.19 (278)

.37 3.83 (2.17)

3.48 (2.19)

1.59 (83)

.01

Conduct Problems

276 3.56 (2.18)

2.66 (1.96)

8.91 (275)

.54 4.95 (2.16)

4.39 (1.89)

2.73 (82)

.30

Hyperactivity 280 4.47 (2.50)

3.90 (2.43)

4.98 (279)

.30 6.29 (2.81)

6.15 (2.11)

.454 (84)

.05

Peer Problems

279 2.27 (1.86)

1.78 (1.69)

5.09 (278)

.31 3.42 (1.81)

3.16 (1.78)

1.44 (84)

.15

Prosocial Behaviour

279 6.72 (2.14)

7.45 (2.07)

-5.77 (278)

.34 5.93 (2.17)

6.81 (1.94)

-4.04 (84)

.44

Total Child Difficulties

279 12.87 (5.99)

10.33 (5.64)

9.5 (278)

.57 18.41 (4.96)

17.22 (3.78)

2.127 (84)

.24

Outcome Measures (Entire vs Clinical Sub-Sample)

Typical and Clinical/Borderline

Pre- Intervention Post - Intervention

Comparable Effect Size for Clinical Group

Parent Reflections

‘My child stopped having tantrums, she told me today that I am a much better mummy’

‘I have learned to stop and pause and be more tuned into my son. I feel more confident as a parent. I now enjoy my time spent with my son’

Key Learning• PPEY effective in community

settings lead by community workers

• PPEY effective for both clinical/borderline and typical range participants (‘Worried Well’)

• Non-stigmatized, acceptable support

• Increase in parental well-being and reduction in parental stress- outcomes for children

• Cost effective per child compared to contemporary programmes

• Cost Effective to roll out – facilitators own time

• Reduced wait list time to access support

• Potential reduction in need for CAHMS services

Legacy?

The aim of the Fingal Parenting Initiative was to: Strengthen the capacity of childcare providers Increase parental wellbeing Enhance family support services

Children and families require a meaningful commitment at national level to proven supports that enhance children’s lives through mainstreaming of programmes such as the Fingal Parenting Initiative.