Meeting the parenting skills needs of neglectful families by training child welfare workers as educators

A training program was devised for selected child welfare workers to conduct parent groups in the Missouri Neglect Demonstration Project. Welfare workers were trained to conduct parent groups that focused on parenting skills, self-advocacy, and social and economic resources. In contrast to case manager referrals, the workshops provided education directly and helped parents to develop resources. One of the goals was to have staff and parents collaborate to improve referral services and resources. The importance of this type of program was demonstrated by a literature review of parent trainings which found that: (a) few programs specifically addressed child neglect; (b) outcome evaluations of programs were scarce; and (c) a national extension study supported topics chosen.     

The development and evaluation of a natural helpers' training program to increase the engagement of urban,Latina/o families in parent-child interaction therapy

Latina/o immigrant children are at increased risk for developing conduct disorders, and are simultaneously less likely to access services. Natural helpers are uniquely positioned to promote effective parent training programs to address service disparities in these communities. This study describes one effort to train natural helpers to increase engagement in parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based parent training program. An academic-community partnership prompted the development and evaluation of this natural helpers training program. Five natural helpers were trained to recruit Latina/o families into PCIT, address barriers to treatment, and support parents' skill development. Over the course of training, natural helpers increased their knowledge of PCIT and their ability to use and model treatment targeted parenting skills. Additional consultation was necessary to improve the natural helpers' abilities to conduct behavioral observations of parent skill use and provide feedback on these skills. Natural helpers expressed overall satisfaction with PCIT and the training program. Suggestions for incorporating natural helpers into PCIT services are discussed based on the strengths and challenges identified from the evaluation of this training program.     

Using Policy-Relevant Administrative Data in Mixed Methods: A Study of Employment Instability and Parents’ Use of Child Care Subsidies

In the United States, government subsidies help low-income families pay for child care when parents are working, yet policies that tie subsidy eligibility closely to employment may result in frequent disruptions in program participation for families. This paper uses a mixed methods research design that links administrative records on families and children to data collected through surveys and in-depth interviews to examine employment instability and job characteristics of parents using child care subsidies. The results suggest that parents experience substantial employment instability (employment loss and unpredictable schedules) and that exiting the subsidy program is frequently related to employment-related eligibility factors. Overall, the use of administrative data integrated with other methods provides substantial opportunities for researchers to explore complex social phenomenon and provide insights in the evaluation of social programs.     

Computer-mediated parenting education: Digital family service provision

Computer-mediated family service provision holds the promise of equal efficacy, lower cost, and higher accessibility than traditional parent education groups that require parents to travel to a service venue, thereby alleviating often-cited pragmatic barriers to participation in parenting programs. Hence, examinations of which populations are attracted to particular service modalities are a necessary step in building a reliable evidence base. The scant computer-mediated parent education literature indicates that online parenting programs are beneficial to indicated or secondary prevention programs seeking to bolster specific parent, child, or dyadic outcomes; it is reasonable to ask, then, if this service provision mechanism would be equally effective for all parents, outside of targeted intervention designs. The current paper describes the provision of computer-mediated parenting services to a large sample of parents (N = 192, 89.6% female, average age 40 years; 27% racial/ethnic minority) with no shared prevention indicator through an employer-based program. Our research questions on service provision and utilization include: Who is served by primary prevention programs like this? Do participants report satisfaction with computer-mediated services commensurate with traditional face-to face services? In addition to significant differences in perceived social support by gender, marital status, and number of children younger than 18 living in the home, results from three measures of parenting attitudes and behaviors (e.g., discipline style, sense of competence, and locus of control), indicate that this sample has some confidence in their general abilities as parents, but struggle to feel an internal sense of control over their children's behavior, with the greatest number of parents tending towards overreactive discipline. Associations between these indicate a consistent pattern such that dysfunctional parenting practices tend to co-occur, and parents who do employ dysfunctional strategies feel less competent as parents. Participants report high satisfaction with these services, at equal or better rates than reported in the parent education literature. This work provides evidence that computer-mediated parenting services can attract and exceed expectations of participants with clinical and subclinical but moderate parenting needs, indicating that this service delivery mode has the potential to reach a wide number of individuals ideally situated for prevention services.     

The impact of parenting education on parent and child behaviors: Moderators by income and ethnicity

Parenting education has emerged as a promising resource for supporting parents, but the relative impact of parenting education among families facing higher versus lower risk remains unclear. The present study explored the effects of participating in an evidence-based parenting education series and examined whether those effects were moderated by families' socio-demographic contexts (income level and ethnicity status). Results indicated that parenting education series serving predominantly lower-income parents resulted in greater improvements in parents' parenting skills and their children's behaviors compared to series serving higher-income parents. Attending a parenting series with a higher proportion of Latino parents also significantly predicted greater improvements in child behaviors, but not parent skills. These findings provide preliminary evidence that parenting education may be most effective when it targets underserved populations. The findings further highlight the importance of continuing to explore the influence of parenting education adapted for low-income and Latino families to inform the design of evidence-based programs.     

Online programs as tools to improve parenting: A meta-analytic review

Background

A number of parenting programs, aimed at improving parenting competencies, have recently been adapted or designed with the use of online technologies. Although web-based services have been claimed to hold promise for parent support, a meta-analytic review of online parenting interventions is lacking.

Method

A systematic review was undertaken of studies (n = 19), published between 2000 and 2010, that describe parenting programs of which the primary components were delivered online. Seven programs were adaptations of traditional, mostly evidence-based, parenting interventions, using the unique opportunities of internet technology. Twelve studies (with in total 54 outcomes, N_tot parents = 1615 and N_tot children = 740) were included in a meta-analysis.

Results

The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant medium effect across parents outcomes (ES = 0.67; se = 0.25) and child outcomes (ES = 0.42; se = 0.15).

Conclusions

The results of this review show that web-based parenting programs with new technologies offer opportunities for sharing social support, consulting professionals and training parental competencies. The meta-analytic results show that guided and self-guided online interventions can make a significant positive contribution for parents and children. The relation with other meta-analyses in the domains of parent education and web-based interventions is discussed.     

Parenting in poverty: Perspectives of high-risk parents

Parents considered high risk by child protection services commonly are striving to raise children in poverty but are identified as requiring improved parenting skills. Parent perceptions of their own needs are typically not sought or elicited. This longitudinal study of 35 parents over 18 months garnered 115 in-depth interviews focusing on parent views regarding barriers to effective parenting. Analysis indicated that parents uniformly identified poverty as the primary barrier to their capacity to provide adequate care for their children. Themes elicited indicated that financially parents were living precariously close to margins of defeat. Parents accepted personal responsibility for their economic and parental failings, equating no income with bad parenting. Depression and despair associated with poverty were acknowledged to impair parenting and increase self-doubt about parenting capacity. Experiences with social services generally led to low expectations of parenting assistance. The need for improved aid for impoverished parents is discussed.     

Effects of a video feedback parent training program during child welfare visitation

Behavioral parent training programs have documented efficacy for improving behaviors among parents and their children and are frequently used by child welfare agencies to prevent removal of a child from the parental home or to facilitate reunification. Although an ideal time for parent training might be during supervised visits where parents may practice skills with their children under the guidance and support of a therapist or caseworker, this is not typically the case. Most often, parents within the child welfare system receive parent training in small groups without their children present, and to date, few studies have examined effects of behavioral parent training interventions during supervised visitation. In this study, concurrent multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to examine effects of a behavioral parent training program, Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND), on parental skill acquisition with four mothers who had lost custody of their children but were being considered for reunification. Children emitted little or no problem behaviors during baseline or intervention, so parenting behavior was the primary dependent variable. Results obtained across participants documented a clear functional relation between implementation of the FIND intervention and increases in developmentally supportive parenting behaviors. Results of social validity and contextual fit measures suggest the intervention was perceived by mothers to be positive, feasible, and appropriate within the child welfare context. Practical and conceptual implications, limitations of this study, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Planning a mentorship initiative for foster parents: Does gender matter?

Despite the use of mentoring programs in fields such as business, career training, and youth development, little is known about how mentoring can be used to train and support new foster parents. This paper describes how Concept Mapping was used with current foster parents to develop a conceptual framework suitable to plan a foster parent mentor program. A secondary aim of this study was to explore priority differences in the conceptualization by self-reported gender (foster mothers vs. foster fathers). Participant data was collected via three qualitative brainstorming sessions, and analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Findings indicate that foster parents participating in this study conceptualized effective mentor programs via a seven cluster solution. Study results also showed no significant differences in cluster ratings by gender. Implications for practice and program planning are identified, as well as areas for future research.     

A Qualitative Assessment of a Parent-developed,Parent-run Program to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

This paper describes an approach to parent education that includes a parent-developed curriculum and parent-facilitated parent training program. The approach was based upon a model of empowerment and self-determination derived from critical and post-modern theoretical perspectives and asserts that parents, working together collectively, can affect meaningful change in their lives. The results of a qualitative assessment support the notion that peer-led parenting training can increase parents' confidence, reduce feelings of incompetence and reduce reluctance to assume the role of parenting. These results support the contention that parents can self-author their change and improve.     

Internet Risks for Foster Families Online

ABSTRACT

Foster parents and children (n = 64 families) who participated in a program to reduce the digital divide among foster children were surveyed about difficulties experienced in use of online communications. Providing Internet access to foster families increased Internet use, but was not perceived by parents or children as taking away time from other family or social relationships. A minority of parents and foster youth, however, reported a variety of problems ranging from benign arguments over access to the computer or frustration over equipment failure to serious concerns about children receiving pornography or meeting a sexual predator online. Although the majority of both parents and social workers were confident in their ability to deal with Internet-related problems, approximately one-third had low confidence in their ability to deal with foster family's Internet-related difficulties. Training foster parents on using filtering software to prevent pornography from coming into the child's experience of the Internet significantly reduced problems related to pornography when compared to foster families not in the program. Implications for social work practice are discussed.     

Prison Parenting Programs

Abstract

Estimates indicate that parents make up a large segment of the prison population in the United States. Parental incarceration affects the whole family. For children of incarcerated parents, separation is painful and can be detrimental to their development. Effective parenting programs in prisons can be beneficial to the incarcerated parents, their children, and society. This study surveyed 745 state prisons to gather data on their parent populations and their prison parenting programs. Findings indicate significant differences by gender of prisons and program structures.     

Opportunities and challenges of the digital lifespan: views of service providers and citizens in the UK

Information about UK citizens’ use of digital technologies is often expressed in statistics – x% lack Internet access; y% get online to engage in online banking, update social media sites, or participate in online auctions. There are many social implications to digital technology use, however – individuals may communicate online as a major way to stay in touch with friends and family, and as Internet access rises and government and public sector budgets shrink, online services become an increasingly attractive way for government and public sector service providers to communicate with citizens. This paper presents selected results of an exploratory study designed to investigate the digital personhood of UK citizens through interviews with participants at three life transitions: leaving secondary school, becoming a parent, and retiring from work. Digital personhood in this paper implies identity information online, and some interaction with others around that information. We then report on our presentation of a selection of these results to thirteen stakeholders who represented UK government departments, public sector organisations, and industry. We found that citizen and stakeholder concerns were quite different, especially at the new parent life transition, and that stakeholders tended to underestimate the willingness and ability of citizens to become involved online with the government and public sector, and overestimate citizens’ vulnerability online. Future research should investigate practical strategies for increasing communication between stakeholders and citizens, and also how to encourage stakeholders to work together to benefit their common clientele – the citizens.     

Drug prevention with high risk families and young children

The effects of a school and home-based drug prevention program on risk factors for subsequent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among children were studied. Data on parent and child risk factors for ATOD use were collected from fifty-six low-income parents and their children, ages four to six years, using a pretest-posttest design. The parent-child intervention was conducted over a two-month period. The intervention had no effect on parent or child risk factors. However, the program was favorably received by parents and children. Almost two-thirds of the parents at the experimental school were involved in the program. Almost half of the parents had high depressive symptoms. The high rates of ATOD use and depressive symptoms among these parents are cause for concern.     

Are the voices of parents heard? A scoping review of satisfaction in parenting programs

Parenting programs are an effective approach to promote positive parenting. In evidence-based practice, client’s values and preferences contribute to promoting quality, and are a crucial component of service evaluation. The current scoping review summarizes quantitative research that examines parental satisfaction with parent training for families with child conduct problems. We aimed to know how much research had been undertaken; what measures have been used; and what were the findings related to parental satisfaction. A scoping review was conducted to retrieve peer-reviewed original articles.Out of 420 papers 5.5 % obtained data on parental satisfaction. Seven different measures were used, mainly Therapy Attitude Inventory and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Out of 23 papers, ten studies reported Cronbach's alpha coefficients on the assessment that was used to evaluate parental satisfaction. All of the 23 included studies found that parents are very satisfied with the parenting program they have received.The findings indicate that only a few studies included parents’ values and preferences in quantitative evaluation studies on parental programs. In addition, there is a limited arsenal of assessment tools to measure what matters to parents. There is a need to develop measures with high psychometric quality, which will promote more quality in service evaluation.     

Building a professional development system: a case study of North Carolina's parenting education experiences

Designing a professional development system for parent educators requires weaving together multiple pieces from within the network of organizations providing parenting education. North Carolina examined how to build a system using the influence of evidence-based programs as well as professional credentialing for parenting educators. A system built with professionals who understand sound parenting practices and networked together to use best practices with parents is critical to support families and prevent child abuse.     

Foster parent perceptions of competency: Implications for foster parent training

Studies have examined factors that impact successful placements in foster care. Absent from this body of research, however, are factors that promote foster parent competence. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived competency of foster parents, subsequent to pre-service training, in tasks of foster parenting across 12 domains of foster parenting as recommended by previous research. The sample consisted of 20 foster parents who had completed foster parent training within the past five years. Although foster parents in this study rated themselves as competent in primary domains of foster parenting, there were mixed results as to their satisfaction and acceptance of demands of foster parenting in relation to foster family adjustment and working with a complex care system. Implications for therapeutic interventions are discussed.     

Social skills training and parent education programs for aggressive preschoolers and their parents in South Korea

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate social skills training and parent education programs for aggressive young children and their parents in South Korea. Participants consisted of intervention group I, which included six children and their mothers in the social skills training and parent education programs; intervention group II, which included seven children and their mothers in the social skills training; and control group, which consisted of six children and their mothers. Pre-test-post-test control group design was used. Participants in both intervention groups reported a significant decrease in aggression and on improvement in pro-social behavior, emotional regulation, and social skills, while the control group reported an increase in aggressive behavior. Mothers in the intervention group I also reported an increase in warmth/acceptance. The findings indicate that both programs are highly effective in reducing aggressive behavior among young children and in fostering positive parenting behaviors.     

The Use of Online Social Support by Foster Families

ABSTRACT

The extent to which foster families utilize social support on the Internet is examined in a sample of 34 foster families in a digital divide intervention program and a comparison sample of 30 foster families who were not part of the program. In spite of increased Internet access, the frequency of using online social support is low. A minority of parents and children increased their use of the Internet to give and receive help, communicate with other foster families and e-mail with their foster care worker. More than half of foster youth have used the Internet to stay in touch with friends and relatives and have “made a new friend” over the Internet. Implications for child welfare practice and for further research are discussed.