Abstract
The quality of evaluations for programs that help expectant mothers and fathers make a successful transition to parenthood has improved substantially over time. Meta-analyses of numerous programs are now available in the literature. In general, program effects are small to moderate in magnitude, although some “just right” programs have had moderate to large effects. Programs led by professionally trained parent educators that address the specific felt and/or real needs of their intended audience are usually perceived as more successful by new parents. Examples of several current programs for expectant or new parents are presented.
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Appendices
Appendix: Programs for New Parents
Can you recall your last five expensive purchases? How many of them came with an operating manual? Chances are all of them came with a book of instructions. The exception: children. The transition to parenthood is filled with new adventures and questions but oftentimes parents are left to their own resources to tackle those adventures and answer their own questions. Parenting programs have developed to address the desire for parents to learn new information. The content and purpose of each program varies a great deal. The majority of programs focus on education and advice for parenting at a very specific point in time; only a few focus on the transition component of parenthood. As a helping professional, you should be familiar with the various forms of programming for new parents and what types of people might benefit from them. If you adopt a program to provide service to your clients, you should also be able to determine the effectiveness of the program at accomplishing its goals. Prior to that, you may want to look up the program in the scholarly literature to see what has already been done with the program in terms of scholarly evaluation. Because program evaluation is an ongoing enterprise, findings may have been published on some of the following programs since we compiled this list.
Delivery Methods
Parenting programs appear to revolve around three main areas of self-educational, interactive training, and support groups. The general goal of the programs is to prepare individuals and couples on parenting and occasionally on the transition to parenthood more specifically.
Self-Education
Self-education programs are defined as those where the parent or parent-to-be seeks out information that is not associated with a direct personal contact. The content is educational in nature and may be provided through print, online, or video. Information is provided to the parents and the parents choose to implement the knowledge on their own. While this list is not exhaustive, a summary of some of the available programs is provided in the sections that follow. Given the nature of the delivery method, there appears to be a lack of effectiveness research related to self-education programs.
Title: | Active Parenting |
|---|---|
Website: | |
Description: | This video series teaches parents how to relate to their children and how to cope with stressful child-raising scenarios |
Target Audience: | Lower income, urban parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents |
Website: | |
Description: | This book teaches adoptive parents whose children are struggling to become attached. This book defines attachment and suggests specific solutions to problems |
Target Audience: | Parents who have adopted |
Research Outcome: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | Baby Care Home Video |
Website: | |
Description: | Real parents caring for real babies show new parents just what they need to know to take care of a newborn. Developed by child-care specialists, the DVD includes topics like holding and various ways of feeding the baby, diapering, cord care, bathing, calming, colic, play, safety, your baby’s health, and Mom’s postpartum care |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | DVD |
Title: | Child Development Media, Inc. |
Website: | |
Description: | Child Development Media, Inc. claims to hold the largest source of videos, books, and curricula for child developmental issues. Video titles include First Person…Impressions of Being a Baby, Fussy Baby, Normal Development in the First Ten Years of Life, and Mama, Listen! Raising a Child Without Violence |
Target Audience: | Parents with children at any age and professionals |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Print and video |
Title: | Common Sense Parenting |
Website: | |
Description: | A skills based parenting program helping families improve communication, discipline, decision making, relationships, &c. |
Target Audience: | Families |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Regional offices in California, Central Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska/Iowa, Nevada, New England, New York, Texas, and Washington D.C. |
Title: | Confident Parenting: Survival Skills Training |
Website: | |
Description: | The mission of the Center for the Improving of Child Caring (CICC) is to promote parent education. They do this through seminars, the training of professionals, and literature |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Target Audience: | Black parents |
Availability: | Nationwide seminars; book and materials through website |
Title: | Cooperative Extension |
Website: | |
Description: | Each state has a Cooperative Extension System through state’s land-grant university. Each state offers free research-based materials and/or programming for parents |
Target Audience: | Families, particularly those in rural areas |
Research Outcomes: | Varies by state |
Availability: | Print and in-person; See website for state contact |
Title: | Discipline from Birth to Three |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a book designed to help parents prevent and deal with discipline issues concerning their children. A workbook is also available for a fee |
Target Audience: | Teen parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | First Three Years and Beyond |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a book geared toward parents and social policy makers. It speaks of the importance of healthy development and the need for public action to assist raising healthy families |
Target Audience: | Policy makers and parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Book |
Title: | InJoy Videos |
Website: | |
Description: | A variety of videos are available regarding importance of play and age appropriate activities, childhood nutrition and preventing obesity, and active parenting for moms and dads |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | Learning Seed Series |
Website: | |
Description: | Brief videos designed to teach parents about a variety of topics including: healthy nutrition for young children, sleeping patterns of newborns, preparing for school, discipline methods, and among other issues |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | |
Online | |
Title: | Most Important Baby in the World: The First Year of Life |
Website/Contact: | |
Description: | This series was designed to enable new parents to become more knowledgeable, observant, and responsive to their infants? cues and individual learning abilities. Filmed in documentary style the series focuses on eight babies and their families throughout the first year and includes interactive dialog between parents and various infant development experts |
Target Audience: | New Parents |
Research Outcomes: | A year long NIH study evaluated the effectiveness of the series by comparing mothers who participated in viewing the materials with nonparticipating mothers. Data analysis demonstrated that participating mothers significantly increased their knowledge of infant development compared to nonparticipating mothers, that they were more proactive with regard to infant medical care, and that their infants had significantly fewer severe illnesses during the year |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | |
National Center for Fathering | |
Website: | |
Description: | This group collects research data regarding fathering and offers training for fathers and for professionals as well as offer in-person programming and free online resources for fathers |
Target Audience: | Fathers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online and in-person |
Title: | Nurturing Parenting Programs |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a parenting skills program aimed at reducing abuse and neglect. Materials include activities for parents and children to do together. There are also group and in-home services available |
Target Audience: | Parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Print and in-person |
Title: | Parents, Kids & Mother Goose Set |
Website: | |
Description: | A program designed to strengthen the bond between parent and child through reading and learning together |
Target Audience: | Initially geared toward low-income families, but now available to anywhere in Canada where there are sufficient funds |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Available in Canada and occasionally outside the country |
Title: | Pocket Guide: New Dad’s Pocket Guide |
Website: | |
Description: | This series of pocketsize notebooks contains tips for new dads on how to get involved with their child’s life from the beginning |
Target Audience: | Young fathers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online and print |
Title: | Programs for Parents (PIP) |
Website: | |
Description: | Offers free parent education booklets such as Welcome to Motherhood, Great Beginnings with Your New Baby, Getting Ready to Be a Dad). Also offers workshops |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online, print, in-person |
Title: | Raising Resilient Children: A Curriculum to Foster Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Children |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a combination workbook and video curriculum. It is designed to help parents prepare their children for the future |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | |
Online and print | |
Title: | Read to Me Program |
Website: | |
Description: | Over the past 21 years, the Read To Me Program has offered pleasurable experiences in workshop form to young parents/parents to be. The goal is to get parents reading to children at very young age |
Target Audience: | Young parents and parents to be; especially teen mothers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Varies by region |
Title: | See How They Move |
Website: | |
Description: | A DVD designed to persuade parents to allow their children to learn to walk, sit, and stand without the use of walkers or similar devices |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | Touchpoints: Your Child’s Emotional and Behavioral Development |
Website: | |
Description: | Dr. Brazelton introduces new information on physical, emotional, and behavioral development. He also addresses the new stresses on families and fears of children, with a fresh focus on the role of fathers and other caregivers |
Target Audience: | Families |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | UCare Parents’ Guide |
|---|---|
Website: | |
Description: | This booklet helps you understand the many changes your child will go through from birth up to age 2 |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Availability: | Online and print |
Title: | Your Baby’s First Year Series |
Website: | |
Description: | A book designed to take you through the first year of a baby’s life, week by week |
Target Audience: | Mothers and father of children with newborns |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Title: | |
Without Spanking or Spoiling | |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a workbook, with exercises included, that teaches parenting skills that help “discourage bad behavior and encourage good behavior.” The director’s contact information is provided on the website to encourage readers to ask her questions about parenting. This book is easily available via the Internet or at any bookstore |
Target Audience: | Parents who are struggling to know how to discipline their children. It is geared toward parents with younger children |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online |
Interactive Training
Interactive training programs are defined here as those which involve the parent or parent(s) and an expert trainer. As noted earlier in this chapter, programs led by professionals tend to yield stronger, positive effect sizes, as well as programs that involve teaching useful parenting skills.
Title: | Conscious Fathering |
|---|---|
Website: | State specific |
Description: | This program helps men preparing to become fathers by teaching them childcare skills and what to expect |
Target Audience: | Fathers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Various states |
Title: | Cooperative Extension |
Website: | |
Description: | Each state has a Cooperative Extension System through state’s land-grant university. Each state offers free research-based materials and/or programming for parents |
Target Audience: | Families, particularly those in rural areas |
Research Outcomes: | Varies by state |
Availability: | Print and in-person; See website for state contact |
Title: | Early Childhood Systematic Training for Effective Parenting |
Website: | |
Description: | Early Childhood STEP adapts and expands the proven principles and techniques of STEP while vividly illustrating how they can be applied to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Goddard School for Early Childhood Development |
Website: | |
Description: | An e-newsletter, parent guide notecards, DVDs, and interpersonal interaction are provided by the Goddard School instructors. Programming is specific to a variety of target groups, including infants, toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, and school age children |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person in most states |
Title: | Great Starts™ Program |
Website: | |
Description: | This program provides childbirth education and early parenting classes to expecting parents |
Target Audience: | Expecting parents |
Research Outcome: | N/A |
Availability: | Washington State |
Title: | Love and Logic |
Website: | |
Description: | Designed to help parents have more fun and experience less stress with their children |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | This program provides books, DVDs, CDs, and seminars across the country. |
Title: | Parenting from the Inside Out |
Website: | |
Description: | This program was developed for criminal justice involve parents; teaching them how to parent from prison |
Target Audience: | Incarcerated Parents |
Research Outcomes: | Available through website |
Availability: | In-Person |
Title: | Parents As Teachers |
Website: | |
Description: | This program is designed to give parents the skills necessary to help their children develop optimally |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for New Families: Baby’s First Six Months |
Website/Contact: | |
Description: | Using the home visiting model, this program’s aim is to educate parents and enhance child health and developmental outcomes |
Target Audience: | Parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Programs for Parents |
Website: | |
Description: | Offers free parent education booklets such was Welcome to Motherhood, Great Beginnings with Your New Baby, Getting Ready to Be a Dad). Also offers workshops |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online, print, and in-person |
Title: | |
National Center for Fathering | |
Website: | |
Description: | This group collects research data regarding fathering and offers training for fathers and for professionals as well as offer in-person programming and free online resources for fathers |
Target Audience: | Fathers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online and in-person |
Title: | |
Systematic Training for Effective Parenting | |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a program that teaches parents the skills necessary to raise children |
Target Audience: | Parents of children from 6 through 12 years |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Online, print, and in-person |
Support Groups
There are support groups for new moms, single moms, new parents, repeat parents, parents of special needs children, and probably hundreds more related to the parenting process. Support group availability will vary by geographic location and over time, as groups and leaders adapt to changing funding conditions and parental needs.
Title: | Becoming Parents Program |
|---|---|
Website: | |
Description: | Becoming Parents Program provides workshops and literature designed to help parents develop parenting skills and also learn self-care techniques to help them cope with the transition to parenthood |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Research Outcomes: | This program is founded upon the research of Dr. Pamela Jordan of the University of Washington which is available through their website |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Bringing Baby Home |
Website: | |
Description: | BBH combines scientific research and service product delivery in order to improve the quality of life for babies and children by strengthening their families |
Target Audience: | New parents |
Research Outcomes: | The program is being evaluated through random clinical trial research involving 168 families |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Childbearing Family Alliance, Inc. |
Website: | |
Description: | The Childbearing Family Alliance (CFA) provide workshops designed to educate parents and assist them through the first years of a child’s life |
Target Audience: | Expecting parents to parents of preschool-age children |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | New Parent Support Program |
Website: | |
Description: | This program was developed to help military families with young children to adapt to parenthood and to succeed as health families |
Target Audience: | Military parents with young children |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | New Parent Support Program |
Website: | |
Description: | This program is offered to Army families to enhance parent and infant attachment, increase knowledge of child development, and provide connections to the support services that allow parents to become nurturing and capable caregivers |
Target Audience: | Army families |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | In-person |
Title: | Nurturing Parenting Programs |
Website: | |
Description: | This is a parenting skills program aimed at reducing abuse and neglect. Materials include activities for parents and children to do together. There are also group and in-home services available |
Target Audience: | Parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers |
Research Outcomes: | N/A |
Availability: | Print and in-person |
Title: | Programs for Early Parent Support (PEPS) |
Website: | |
Description: | Provides community-based programs that enable parents of infants and young children to meet the challenges of parenting through mutual support and shared information |
Target Audience: | Expecting parents to parents with young children |
Research Outcomes: | PEPS provides annual reports containing surveys and testimonials of participant’s experiences |
Availability: | In-person |
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Nazarinia Roy, R., Schumm, W.R., Britt, S.L. (2014). Program Evaluations and Parenting Programs. In: Transition to Parenthood. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7768-6_10
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