Promotion of Coparenting

at the Transition to Parenthood

(PDF of Family Foundations flyer)

Overview.  Family Foundations is a series of participatory, psycho-educational classes for expectant parents.  Research has demonstrated program impact on postpartum depression, couple relations, parenting, and child self-regulation.  As these outcomes are risk factors for family violence, ongoing research is testing program impact on partner violence and parent-to-child violence.

Goals.  The innovative short-term goal of the program is to promote positive coparenting, (i.e., the way that parents support each other and coordinate parenting efforts). Recent research indicates that positive coparenting is a strong influence on parenting and child outcomes.  The curriculum also covers temperament, parenting, and promotion of secure attachment.  Through these targets, the ultimate program goals are to:

Positive outcomes have been found in an NIH-funded randomized trial (see below) for a wide range of couples on maternal depression, father-infant relationship, coparenting, couple relationship quality, parenting quality, and child self-regulation.  Participation in the program had the greatest benefit for families in which parents had lower education or fathers had lower levels of emotional security in close relationships.

 

In Development.  (1) A home study version, with a DVD/workbook package for couples unable to attend classes.  (2) Adaptation of the program targeting low-income, unmarried couples, including home visits and classes.

Family Foundations consists of four class meetings before birth, and four classes after birth to reinforce material and help parents adapt material to their own situation.  The classes are conducted by a male/female co-leader team.   Homework consists of written and communication exercises, and watching brief video segments.  Booster sessions available for use when the child is two years old focus on limit setting and family relationships.

Childbirth Plus combines Family Foundations with standard childbirth education and preparation.  The advantage of Childbirth Plus is that families do not need to sign up for multiple programs, but receive both the preparation for childbirth and for parenting in one class series. 

The target population is comprised of couples in committed relationships, whether cohabiting or married, expecting a first child.  Level of individual or family risk is not an inclusionary or exclusionary criteria; the program is intended for all expectant couples. 

Program delivery is recommended through non-stigmatizing context, such as hospital childbirth education departments, parenting centers, or religious congregations.

Training/Materials.  Training for group leaders consists of a total of 2-3 days spread out over 6-12 months, self-preparation, and videotaped practice with trainer feedback.  Program materials include group leader manual, participant handbooks, handouts/homeworks, and DVD segments for use in class and at home.  Participant feedback, leader self-report, and observer rating forms are available.

Contact.  Mark Feinberg, Ph.D., Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University.  Phone: 814-865-8796. Email: mef11@psu.edu.

Research on Family Foundations

 

Post-test:  Child age 6 months

Feinberg, M.E. & Kan, M.L. (2008).  Establishing Family Foundations: Intervention Effects on Coparenting, Parent/Infant Well-being, and Parent-Child Relations.  Journal of Family Psychology.

This study investigated the ability of a theoretically-driven, psychosocial prevention program implemented through childbirth education programs to enhance the coparental relationship, parental mental health, the parent-child relationship, and infant emotional and physiological regulation.  A sample of 169 heterosexual, adult couples expecting their first child was randomized to intervention and control conditions.  The intervention families participated in Family Foundations, a series of eight classes delivered before and after birth, which was designed as a universal prevention program (i.e., applicable to all couples, not just those at high risk).  Intent-to-treat analyses indicated significant program effects on coparental support, maternal depression and anxiety, distress in the parent-child relationship, and several indicators of infant regulation.  Intervention effects were not moderated by income, but greater positive impact of the program was found for lower-educated parents and families with a father reporting higher levels of insecure attachment in close relationships. 

Follow-up:  Child age 1 year

Feinberg, M.E., & Kan, M.L. (2008).  Family Foundations at child age one year: Effects on observed coparenting, parenting, and child self-regulation.  Under review.

Objectives. We investigated whether a psycho-educational program with modest dosage (8 sessions), delivered in a universal framework through childbirth education programs, and targeting the coparenting relationship would have a positive impact on observed family interaction and child behavior at 6-month follow-up (child age one year).  Methods. 169 couples, randomized to intervention and control conditions, participated in videotaped family observation tasks at pretest (during pregnancy) and at child age one year. Coparenting, parenting, couple relationship, and child self-regulatory behaviors were coded by teams of raters. Intent-to-treat analyses of program effects controlled for age, education, and social desirability.  Results.  Evidence of significant (p < .05) program effects at follow-up emerged in all four domains.  Effect sizes ranged from .28 to 1.01.  Intervention effects on mother’s parenting were mediated by coparenting quality, and effects on child self-regulation were mediated by the combination of coparenting quality and parenting quality.  Conclusion. Targeting the coparenting relationship at the transition to parenthood represents an effective, non-stigmatizing means of promoting parenting quality and child adjustment.

Follow-up:  Child age 3 years: Data collection ongoing.

 

Related Publications

Feinberg, M. (2002). Coparenting and the Transition to Parenthood: A Framework for Prevention. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 5, 173-195.

Feinberg, M. (2003). The internal structure and ecological context of coparenting: A framework for research and intervention. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3, 95-132.

Feinberg, M., & Pettit, G. (2003). Promoting positive parenting. In T. Gullotta & M. Bloom (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention.: Kluwer/Plenum Academic Press.