Ding, X., LaBrenz, C. A., Nulu, S., Gerlach, B., & Faulkner, M. (2023). Impact of parents as teachers on parenting-related protective factors: A pre- and post- evaluation. Children and Youth Services Review, 147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106834
A new study from TXICFW researchers and colleagues explores changes in parenting protective factors among participants in Parents as Teachers, an evidence-based early childhood home visiting model.
As federal policy has prioritized family preservation and maintenance, there is a need to identify programs and interventions that can enhance protective factors among families vulnerable to child maltreatment. Data for this study came from 803 parents who participated in Parents as Teachers as part of Prevention and Early Intervention services in a large Southern state. Parents who completed both pre- and post-surveys of the Parenting Assessment of Protective Factors (PAPF) scale (N = 86) were included for data analysis.
Findings suggest that participants in Parents as Teachers experienced positive changes in protective factors over the course of the program. Certain parental risk factors were linked to changes in parental resilience and social and emotional competence of children over time. The direction of this relationship varied, highlighting an area for future research to explore how strengths-based programs may be targeted for specific groups.
Highlights:
- Parents who are at risk of child maltreatment reported positive changes in social-emotional competence of children and parental resilience.
- Findings added to the evidence base of Parents as Teachers as a strengths-based model to increase protective factors.
- Future research should test the mediator effect of changes in PAPF between program participation and reduction in child maltreatment.
Ding, X., LaBrenz, C. A., Nulu, S., Gerlach, B., & Faulkner, M. (2023). Impact of parents as teachers on parenting-related protective factors: A pre- and post- evaluation. Children and Youth Services Review, 147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106834