Family Foundations (FF) is a group-based parenting intervention for couples expecting their first child. It is co-delivered by male and female co-facilitators to groups of couples via eight weekly sessions lasting two hours each. Parents learn strategies about how to communicate effectively as parents and support their child’s development.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Perinatal years old
Group
Child outcomes:
UK available
UK tested
Family Foundations is a universal co-parenting intervention for all couples expecting their first child. It aims to support child development during the first year of life, as well as the quality of the co-parenting relationship.
Family Foundations is co-delivered by two practitioners in a helping profession to groups of couples via eight sessions lasting two hours each. The sessions can begin at any point in the mother’s pregnancy.
Parents attend five sessions prior to the baby’s birth and then reconvene for four additional sessions after the baby’s birth.
The first five sessions acquaint parents to the stresses that are typical after the birth of a child and the ways these stresses can negatively the quality of the couple and co-parenting relationship. Parents receive strategies for improving communication and are also encouraged to develop plans for sharing the childcare duties after the baby is born.
The second four sessions take place after the baby is born providing parents with strategies for understanding and responding to their child’s temperament, helping their child sleep and self-sooth, and promoting attachment security in their child.
Perinatal, during the mother’s pregnancy.
All couples expecting the birth of their first child.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
The birth of a child frequently introduces high levels of stress into the inter-parental relationship.
Science-based assumption
High levels of inter-parental stress can increase the risk of ongoing couple conflict and diminish parents’ ability to respond appropriately to their child’s needs.
Science-based assumption
All parents expecting their first child.
Intervention
Parents learn:
Plans for managing the stress associated with new parenthood
Techniques for improving couple communication and resolving conflict
Strategies for supporting each other as parents
How to understand and respond to their child’s temperament
How to support their child’s sleep and ability to self-sooth
How to implement positive family routines.
Short-term
Better parent communication
Parents are better able to support each other as parents
Parents are better able to manage common stressful situations after the child is born
Parents are more likely to implement positive family routines
Reduced reports of couple conflict
Improved parent mood.
Medium-term
Improved quality of the co-parenting relationship
Improved child sleep and self-soothing
Reduced child maltreatment risk.
Long-term
Improved child self-regulation
Improved child prosocial behaviour
Reduced child behavioural problems.
Family Foundations is for couples expecting their first child.
Two practitioners deliver the intervention to groups of six to 10 couples via eight sessions lasting two hours each.
Parents attend five sessions prior to the baby’s birth and then reconvene for four additional sessions when the baby is between four and six months old. During these sessions, parents learn strategies for working together effectively as co-parents as they undergo the transition from being a couple to a family. Parents also learn strategies for responding to their child in a sensitive way. Parents learn through a variety of group exercises, role play and group discussion. They receive programme packs that contain a homework element. Once the baby is three months old parents attend for more sessions to discuss parenting experiences and explore areas for improvement.
A male and a female practitioner co-facilitate. Both practitioners are expected to be helping professionals.
The practitioners receive 24 hours of intervention training. Booster training is not required.
Supervision is provided by host-agency supervisor with a master’s qualification or higher in a helping profession.
Email address: info@FamFound.net
Website: www.famfound.net
*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.
Family Foundations’ most rigorous evidence comes from two RCTs conducted in the United States, consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 evidence strength criteria. One of these studies has evidence of a long-term impact, meaning that Family Foundations has evidence consistent with Foundations’ Level 4 criteria.
The first study observed that Family Foundations parents were significantly more likely to report improved infant attention at the end of the intervention than parents not attending Family Foundations. Additionally, Family Foundations children were observed as better able to self-sooth by researchers at 1 year old in comparison to children whose parents did not attend the intervention.
At 3 years old, Family Foundations parents were significant more likely to report improved social competence in comparison to parents who did not attend the intervention. At age 7 years old, Family Foundations teachers were more likely to observe improved emotional wellbeing in children whose parents attended the intervention.
The second study observed statistically significant improvements in Family Foundations parents’ reports of their infant’s sleep and orienting behaviours in comparison to parents not receiving the intervention. Additionally, Family Foundations infants were observed by researchers to demonstrate increased self-soothing in comparison to children whose parents did not receive the intervention.
Family Foundations’ evidence means that it can be described as evidence-based: it has evidence from at least two rigorously conducted evaluations (RCT/QED) demonstrating positive impacts across populations and environments lasting a year or longer.
Sustained attention
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved self-soothing
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Reduced internalising problems
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved soothability
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved orienting
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved sleep
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved prosocial behaviour
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Reduced externalising problems
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
| Identified in search | 2 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 0 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 1 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 1 |
| Ineligible | 0 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 169 heterosexual adult couples expecting their first child living in rural Pennsylvania, USA |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Post-intervention
Six-month follow-up (at infant’s first birthday)
Three-year follow-up
6.5-year follow-up
|
| Other outcomes | Post-intervention
Six-month follow-up
Three-year follow-up
|
| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Study 1a: 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, 22(2), 253. Study 1b: Feinberg, M.E., Kan, M.L. & Goslin, M.C. (2009).Enhancing coparenting, parenting and child self-regulation: Effects of Family Foundation 1 year after birth. Prevention Science. 10, 276–285. Study 1c: Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Kan, M. L. & Goslin, M. (2010. Effects of a transition to parenthood program on parents, parenting, and children: 3.5 years after baseline. Journal of Family Psychology. 24 (5), 532–542. Study 1d: Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Roettger, M. E., Hostettler, M. & Solmeyer, A. (2014) Long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of Family Foundations: Effects on children’s emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology. 28, 821–831. |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 399 heterosexual couples who were living together and expecting their first child |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing | Pre- and post-intervention |
| Child outcomes | Post-intervention
|
| Other outcomes | Post-intervention
|
| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Hostetler, M. L., Roettger, M. E., Paul, I. M. & Ehrenthal, D. B. (2016) Couple-focused prevention at the transition to parenthood, a randomized trial: Effects on coparenting, parenting, family violence, and parent and child adjustment. Prevention Science. 17, 751–764. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Roettger, M. E., Hostetler, M. L., Sakuma, K. L., Paul, I. M. & Ehrenthal, D. B. (2016) Preventive effects on birth outcomes: Buffering impact of maternal stress, depression, and anxiety. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 20, 56-65.
Kan, M. & Feinberg, M. (2014) Can a family-focused, transition-to-parenthood program prevent parent and partner aggression among couples with young children? Violence And Victims. 29 (6), 967–980.
Kan, M. & Feinberg, M. (2015) Impacts of a coparenting-focused intervention on links between pre-birth intimate partner violence and observed parenting. Journal of Family Violence. 30 (3), 363–372.
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.
Click here for more information.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
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.
Click here for more information.