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
Barnardos
Blanchardstown Area Partnership
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?
Methodology
Measures 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
Outcome Measures (Entire vs Clinical Sub-Sample)
Measure
N
Parent Stress
286
Parenting
Satisfaction
Emotional
Symptoms
Conduct
Problems
Hyperactivity
277
Peer
Problems
Prosocial
Behaviour
Total Child
Difficulties
279
279
276
280
279
279
Entire Sample
Mean (SD)
Pre
Post
41.83
(9.15)
14.27
(3.26)
2.59
(2.12)
3.56
(2.18)
4.47
(2.50)
2.27
(1.86)
6.72
(2.14)
12.87
(5.99)
36.18
(8.46)
16.66
(2.58)
1.95
(1.91)
2.66
(1.96)
3.90
(2.43)
1.78
(1.69)
7.45
(2.07)
10.33
(5.64)
t (df)
12.34
(285)
-13.15
(276)
6.19
(278)
8.91
(275)
4.98
(279)
5.09
(278)
-5.77
(278)
9.5
(278)
Effect
Size
Cohen’s
d
.73
.81
.37
.54
.30
.31
.34
.57
Clinical
Range Mean
(SD)
Pre
Post
46.93
(8.42)
12.34
(3.01)
3.83
(2.17)
4.95
(2.16)
6.29
(2.81)
3.42
(1.81)
5.93
(2.17)
18.41
(4.96)
40.39
(9.51)
15.14
(2.72)
3.48
(2.19)
4.39
(1.89)
6.15
(2.11)
3.16
(1.78)
6.81
(1.94)
17.22
(3.78)
t (df)
6.81
(84)
-7.03
(82)
1.59
(83)
2.73
(82)
.454
(84)
1.44
(84)
-4.04
(84)
2.127
(84)
Effect
Size
Cohen’s
d
.74
.77
.01
.30
.05
.15
.44
.24
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.