Families Connect is a universal intervention designed for families living in disadvantaged communities with children aged 3 to 7 years old who attend early years settings, children’s centres, or primary schools. It is delivered by early years practitioners over eight sessions with the aim of supporting parents to promote their child learning at home.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
4 to 6 years old
Group
Families Connect is a universal intervention designed for families living in disadvantaged communities with children aged 3–7 years old who attend early years settings, children’s centres, or primary schools. Delivered by early years practitioners, it comprises eight two-hour sessions held weekly, with the aim of supporting parents to promote their child’s learning at home. It is a group-based intervention, typically involving six to 12 parents per session. Each session is split into two halves: the first is for parents only, and the second brings parents and children together. Over the eight weeks, parents learn how to support their children’s learning at home across three key areas: social and emotional development; literacy and language development; and numeracy. The intervention aims to improve children’s socio-emotional learning and school readiness, and to strengthen home- school or nursery partnerships.
3–7 years old
Parents/caregivers and children between the ages of 3 and 7, often living in areas of deprivation and disadvantage.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Children living in disadvantaged areas are less likely to do as well academically compared to classmates from a more advantaged background.
Science-based assumption
Creating a good learning environment at home and improving parents’ skills and confidence to support their child’s learning can reduce the impact of poverty on their child’s future.
Science-based assumption
Parents/caregivers and children aged 3 to 7 years old often living in areas of deprivation and disadvantage.
Intervention
The intervention aims to increase parents’ confidence, knowledge, and skills through discussion, modelling, and shared parent–child activities that promote positive interactions and learning in the home.
Short-term
Parents have greater confidence and knowledge to support their children’s learning and development.
Children experience more positive interactions and communication at home, alongside greater engagement in reading, play, and early maths activities.
Medium-term
Improved school–parent partnerships
Improvements in children’s educational outcomes
Improvements in children’s socio-emotional skills.
Long-term
Children living in disadvantaged areas have a better chance of achieving their potential, including higher academic outcomes, and more professional opportunities.
Children aged 3 to 7 years old and their parents or caregivers.
Families Connect is delivered in eight two-hour sessions by a practitioner to a group of six to 12 families.
Each two-hour session is divided into two components. The first is for parents only, where a practitioner welcomes families, recaps the previous session, and discusses any activities they have tried at home. Through reflection and discussion, parents share experiences with the practitioner and with other parents, reinforce their learning, and consider how activities can be used within the home learning environment.
The second component brings parent and child together, with both taking part in shared activities. Over the eight weeks, parents learn how to support their children’s learning at home across three key areas: social and emotional development; literacy and language development; and numeracy. At the end of each session, families reflect on what they have covered, share feedback, and are introduced to the next topic, and parents are encouraged to continue the activities at home between sessions.
The practitioner who delivers this programme is any early years’ practitioner who works with children aged 3 to 7 years old.
The practitioner receives seven hours of programme training. Booster training is not required.
Supervision of practitioners is not required.
Contact person: Sally Smith
Organisation: Peeple
Email address: training@peeple.org.uk
Website/s: https://www.peeple.org.uk/families-connect-programme
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Families Connect’s most rigorous evidence comes from one pre–post study conducted in the UK consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength threshold.
The study identified statistically significant improvements in language and improved social behaviour.
Families Connect shows evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 6 |
| Studies reviewed | 4 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 3 |
The available evidence for Families Connect includes a study conducted with a majority White British sample, with 59% of families reported as White British (Study 1). Representation of minoritised groups was therefore moderate, but reporting of characteristics was absent.
No subgroup analyses or equity‑relevant quantitative data were reported in Study 1. In another study (Lords et al., 2021), which was an RCT which did not find evidence of positive outcomes for children, the study found no evidence of an effect of pupils having English as an Additional Language on the impact of Families Connect on vocabulary.
Qualitative evidence provided insight into how different groups experienced Families Connect, particularly of positive experiences for newly arrived families or those with English as an Additional Language, where Families Connect contributed to building a support network. One teacher described how Families Connect gave a mother with English as an Additional Language a group of friends (Bizas et al., 2016), and another how the intervention connected a family who were new to the UK to other support systems (Save the Children, 2018). Sometimes language was identified as a potential barrier, where parents spoke a language other than English, and in these cases either a Community Practitioner or another parent were able to translate materials or interpret (Lord et al., 2021).
| Study design | Pre–post study (single group) |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 139 families with a child aged 3 to 7 years old. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | 59% of parents participating in the intervention were White British. The study does not report any further ethnicity breakdown, grouping all other ethnicities together as “other”. |
| Population risk factors | 52.5% of parents had household income below £20,000. |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Post-intervention
|
| Study rating | 2 |
| Citations | Bizas, N., Wilson, L., Anfield, G., Lacey, S., Newcombe, P., Patel, S. and Sovik, S. (2016) Families Connect: Evaluation of Autumn Delivery 2016. London: Save the Children UK. |
The following studies were identified for this programme but did not count towards the programme’s overall evidence rating. A programme receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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