Abstract
Co-parenting education aims to help divorced or separated parents continue to raise their children together by reducing their conflicts and stressors. Examining the longitudinal effects of the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids (CPSK) program on parental outcomes, this study aims to extend the current knowledge and evidence of co-parenting education and provide implications for evidence-based practice. We repeatedly measured the parental outcomes in a sample of 236 participants. At the baseline and one-, three-, and six-month follow-ups, we assessed parenting stress, parenting self-efficacy, parental anger, and co-parenting quality. The study used mixed-effects regression modeling to estimate the longitudinal effects—immediate (one-month), short-term (three-month), and intermediate (six-month) effects—of the program, after controlling for the effects of participants’ individual and family characteristics. Results indicated that the parental outcomes overall improved after completion of the program; however, the program impact attenuated over time. The CPSK program was found to have (a) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parenting stress; (b) short-term effects on parenting self-efficacy; and (c) immediate, short-term, and intermediate effects on parental anger. In this sample dataset, there were no significant longitudinal effects on the quality of the co-parenting relationship. The findings suggest that the CPSK curriculum is effective in reducing parenting stress, increasing parental self-efficacy, and decreasing parental anger over time. Future programs are needed to promote co-parenting relationships and child developmental outcomes, along with more intensive interventions for high-conflict or uninvolved parents.
Highlights
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Longitudinal effects of coparenting education, Co-parenting for Successful Kids, were examined.
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The program was found to be effective in reducing parenting stress and parental anger.
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A short-term program effect on parenting self-efficacy was observed.
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Findings suggest that future programs promote co-parenting relationships and child outcomes.
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Co-Parenting for Successful Kids is implemented by Nebraska Extension. L.R. coordinates the co-parenting program as part of Nebraska Extension’s statewide efforts to deliver education focused on families, children, and early childhood professionals in the state of Nebraska. J.C. led the longitudinal evaluation of the program. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institutional Review Board (reference number: 20170216707EP) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Wang, D., Choi, JK., Shin, J. et al. Longitudinal Effects of Co-Parenting for Successful Kids: Using Mixed-Effects Models. J Child Fam Stud 30, 220–229 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01866-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01866-3