If parents with ‘lived experience’ work with practitioners on service delivery teams and are culturally representative, one sees more effective engagement and retention of socially marginalized, low-income families into... [ view full abstract ]
If parents with ‘lived experience’ work with practitioners on service delivery teams and are culturally representative, one sees more effective engagement and retention of socially marginalized, low-income families into parenting programmes. Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a UNODC family skills evidence based programme with a Core Component on team composition requiring local parents. FAST teams engage families of a child ages 2 4-7 in 21 countries with predictably high retention rates (80%). The universal, community based, after-school, multi-family group empowers parents to build local social capital. Weekly sessions (8) and monthly boosters (22) offer meals, parent-led family games, a parent support group, and coaching of parents to deliver 15 minutes of one to one responsive play. With repetition, positive changes in family relationships emerge, friendships amongst parents of same age children develop, and trust between parents and schools.
Three papers:
1) Scale-up evaluation data show benefits of investing in Quality Assurance Strategies from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England in 500 disadvantaged communities (10,000 families) on child well-being (SDQ), parent empowerment, parent-child bonds, family conflict, social reciprocity in school/community, demographics and retention rates.
2) Calgary team shares family stories, data, and cultural adaptations of First Nation parents in describing activities of 8 weekly 2.5 hour group sessions: coach parents to lead family activities, co-lead parent support groups, coach parents in one-to-one responsive play.
3) Indian Community School (ICS) from urban Milwaukee discuss long term benefits of engaging all 280 families over 13 years from 11 Indian Nations in parenting and community building. Cultural adaptations and parent leadership in FAST sustained efforts empowered all families to integrate the school culture on multiple levels.
Policies requiring parents with ‘lived experience’ to co-produce family support strategies would increase engagement, reduce social determinants of health and protect children from toxic stresses of ACE.
