Parents need support. Intervention programs and services can help, although they need to be based on approaches that have been rigorously tested and shown to work. The committee’s report looked at the evidence backing up various intervention programs and services, and identified the features and practices of effective parenting interventions. These intervention programs help parents by using practices that make it easier for parents to attend and participate. Parents have diverse needs; no single approach is right for all parents. But the committee found several factors that have been successful among a wide range of intervention programs and services:
Treating parents as equal partners when figuring out which services most benefit them and their children
Making sure that programs meet the specific needs of families
Making sure that families with multiple service needs receive coordinated services
Creating opportunities for parents to connect with and receive support from other parents with similar circumstances
Addressing trauma in order to prevent it from interfering with parenting and healthy child development
Making sure that programs are well suited for the diverse cultures of families
Enhancing efforts to involve fathers
The report found that more research is needed, particularly about what works best for different parents. More information is also needed to understand how effective services can become more widely available. The committee created recommendations for next steps to fill various gaps in research and informationThe report was sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, Bezos Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, Foundation for Child Development, Health Resources and Services Administration, Heising-Simons Foundation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
