A qualitative case study analysis of the Space parenting programme.

Abstract

The first three years of life are particularly important for a child’s development, and the caregiving provided by parents and close family members (whānau) is arguably one of the most important factors for a child’s development during this time. Programmes for parents during these early years of their children’s lives have the potential to help parents develop effective caregiving skills, provide education on key topics related to early child development, and provide support systems for parents experiencing stress and/or isolation. Similar to other postnatal parenting programmes, Space for You and Your Baby (Space) is designed to support first-time parents during their transition into parenthood. Space is a programme offered by the Parenting Place, a national non-profit organisation offering a variety of parenting and community education programmes, and facilitated by local community partners (e.g., Play Centres, early childhood education providers, churches, and other social service providers). The aim of this collaborative evaluation case study was to investigate how the participants and facilitators involved in a local (Canterbury, New Zealand) Space programme evaluated their experiences with Space and compare these against the Space Theory of Change model. Mothers (n=9) and facilitators (n=2) from a local Space group participated in individual semi-structured interviews and were asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the programme, as well as three specific programme outcomes concerning their experiences; parenting confidence and self-efficacy, quality of mother-baby interactions, and social capital. All of the mothers reported that since the beginning of the Space programme, they felt as though their parenting confidence had increased; they generally reported that mother-baby interactions were improved; and reflected that the social environment of the sessions, the emotional support from others in the group, and the content and structure of the programme all contributed to enhanced social capital. Feedback from facilitators was relatively similar to that of the parent interviews; however, there were some minor discrepancies across the two types of study participants in their reflections of the processes that promoted these outcomes. These results have practical implications for both the Parenting Place and the local community partner and are discussed in light of recent research on parenting support for first-time parents.