30 April 2024
Foundations is excited to announce its new Changemakers programme, designed to empower local authorities to bridge the gap between evidence and practice to transform parenting support. This is in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), Department for Education, and four local authorities: Merton Council, Stockport Council, Wirral Council, and City of York Council.
Part of the national Family Hubs Programme, Changemakers creates new local capacity to address the reasons why evidence-based interventions struggle to translate into the local context. The programme will do this by funding Local Evidence Leaders to drive effective implementation and enhance family access to support. Working as catalysts for change, these Local Evidence Leaders will champion and facilitate the use of funded evidence-based parenting interventions.
As part of this, Changemakers is providing funding for three specific parenting interventions that have demonstrated positive impacts for children. These include interventions specifically designed to address the early risks associated with serious youth violence, including:
- Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities, a support programme for disadvantaged families experiencing behavioural difficulties with a child aged 2 to 11
- Family Foundations, a perinatal group-based programme for couples expecting their first child aimed at improving children’s outcomes by improving interparental relationships
- Resilience Triple-P, a support programme for children bullied by peers.
It is hoped that Changemakers will address the stubborn gap between evidence and practice, giving more parents access to support that improves child development.
Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive at Foundations, said:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Youth Endowment Fund, Department for Education and four local authorities for this exciting programme.
Changemakers is about making evidence-based services more accessible to families and demonstrating the vital role of local evidence leadership in giving parents the support they need to ensure their children develop the relationships they need to thrive”.
Minister Johnston OBE MP, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, said:
“Parents play the vital role in their children’s development, which is why we have provided dedicated funding so family hubs can deliver evidence-based support for children and families, particularly for those who need it most.
We are excited to be co-funding Foundations’ Changemakers programme, alongside the Youth Endowment Fund, with a focus on learning how to reduce the gap between academic evidence and local strategies.”
Gail Gibbons, Head of Change – Children’s Services & Health at YEF, said:
“There’s a growing body of evidence about what works to improve outcomes for children and their families. We need to come together to help practitioners, commissioners and policy-makers put this knowledge into practice. We hope the learning and insights gained from Changemakers will help other local authorities to adopt evidence-backed interventions, thereby helping families access the most effective forms of support.”
Contact: Francesca Morosini, Head of Communications: 07949 339975 / francesca.morosini@foundations.org.uk
Notes to editors
About Foundations
Foundations is the What Works Centre for Children & Families. We believe all children should have the foundational relationships they need to thrive in life. We’re researching, generating, and translating evidence into practical solutions that shape better policy and practice and lead to more effective family support services. Foundations was formed through the merger of What Works for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) and the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) in December 2022.
About the Youth Endowment Fund
The Youth Endowment Fund is a charity with a mission that matters. They exist to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. They do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. The charity was established in 2019 with a 10-year £200 million endowment from the Home Office.
Further information: www.youthendowmentfund.org.uk
Changemakers is co-funded by the Youth Endowment Fund and Department for Education.
