Preparing for Life (PFL) is a multi-component intervention for expectant parents living in disadvantaged communities. Parents receive visits from a Preparing for Life mentor from the prenatal period until the child’s fifth birthday. The frequency of visits varies between once and twice a month, depending on the family’s needs. During the visits, mentors provide advice through a series of developmentally timed tip sheets, book packs, and toys. Additionally, parents attend antenatal classes before the child’s birth and weekly breastfeeding support after the baby’s birth. Parents are also encouraged to attend an infant massage group during the baby’s first year and a five-session Triple P course during the child’s third year.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Antenatal to 5 years old
Home visiting
Preparing for Life (PFL) is a multi-component intervention for expectant parents living in disadvantaged communities.
Parents receive home visits from a Preparing for Life mentor from the prenatal period until the child’s first birthday. The visits last between 45 to 60 minutes and their frequency is determined by each family’s needs. On average, families receive 50 visits over the course of five years.
The content of each home visit includes the following elements:
In addition to the home visits, parents are invited to attend:
Antenatal to 5 years old
Expectant parents living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods/communities.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
School readiness skills (including vocabulary and self-regulation) during the preschool years are strongly associated with children’s success in preschool and primary school.
Science-based assumption
An enriching home learning environment during the early years is known to support young children’s school readiness.
Science-based assumption
Low family income negatively impacts parents’ ability to provide an enriching home learning environment.
Intervention
Families receive:
Monthly home visits from the antenatal period until the child’s first birthday
Tip sheets with information about children’s development
Age-appropriate book packs and toys
Coaching support for implementing positive parenting practices and achieving pre-identified goals
Access to five antenatal group sessions
Breastfeeding support post-birth
Access to infant massage through groups or at home
Access to a five-week Triple P intervention during the child’s third year.
Short-term
Parents are better able to support their child’s school readiness
Parents are better able to understand their child’s early developmental and learning needs
Parents provide a more enriching home learning environment.
Medium-term
Improved child school readiness
Improved parent–child interaction.
Long-term
Reduced income-related learning gaps
Improved child school achievement.
Expectant parents living in disadvantaged communities.
Preparing for Life is a multi-component intervention delivered from prenatal period to when the target child is aged 5 years old.
Parents receive monthly home visitations from the PFL mentor with an expected duration of 45 to 60 minutes each visit.
Parents are invited to attend:
Eight sessions of a Triple P intervention, 120 minutes’ duration each session delivered when the child is between 2 and 3 years of age to groups of six to eight families.
The core activity in the intervention is the Home Visit in which the PFL mentor engages with the parent and child and provides information and support. See model description for more information.
The PFL mentor can come from a variety of professional backgrounds including education, social care, youth studies, psychology, and early childcare and education.
PDL mentors receive seven days of training as well as additional training on the Triple P Positive Parenting intervention by core Triple P staff. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
It is recommended that PFL mentors receive two hours of supervision per month. Supervision includes the following three strands: (a) individual supervision, (b) local team meetings, and (c) peer support and case review. All supervision is underpinned by the PFL Practice Principles:
PFL mentors are supervised by an external supervisor with a thorough grounding in PFL who has completed supervision, coaching and mentoring training provided over three to four days.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Fidelity monitoring.
Contact person: Niall Sexton
Organisation: Preparing for Life
Email address: Niall.Sexton@nspartnership.ie
Website: https://www.preparingforlife.ie/
*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.
Preparing for Life’s most rigorous evidence comes from a single RCT conducted in the Republic of Ireland, consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 evidence strength criteria.
This study observed statistically significant benefits favouring Preparing for Life throughout the delivery of the intervention in multiple domains, including:
Preparing for Life can be described as evidence-based: it has evidence from at least one rigorously conducted RCT or QED demonstrating a statistically significant positive impact on at least one child outcome.
| Identified in search | 1 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 0 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 1 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 0 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sample characteristics | 223 prenatal women (average age 25) at baseline, living in a disadvantaged community |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | 99% Irish |
| Population risk factors | 65% of the sample in receipt of social welfare benefits |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Study 1a: PFL Evaluation Team. (2016) Preparing for Life early childhood intervention. Final report. UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy. Study 1b: Doyle, O. (2020). The first 2,000 days and child skills. Journal of Political Economy. 128 (6), 2067–2122. |
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.
Doyle, O. (2012) Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation: An experimental evaluation of an early childhood intervention. Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland. 41, 92.
Doyle, O. et al. (2013) Measuring investment in human capital formation: An experimental analysis of early life outcomes. National Bureau of Economic Research.
Doyle, O. et al. (2015) Early intervention and child physical health: Evidence from a Dublin-based randomized controlled trial. Economics & Human Biology. 19, 224–245.
Doyle, O. (2022) Can early intervention have a sustained effect on human capital? The Journal of Human Resources. 59 (5), 1599–1636.
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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