Patterns in Participation: Factors Influencing Parent Attendance at Two, Centre-Based Early Childhood Interventions

Abstract

Interventions training parents of at-risk children have received considerable empirical support but their effectiveness is undermined by low attendance rates. This research sought to clarify why parents, even with the best of intentions, fail to follow through to full participation in workshop programs; and to provide insight into ways to improve parental engagement. We examined participation in Parents as Partners, a school-based, early childhood intervention. Demographic and ongoing educational, social, emotional and behavioural data for 136 parent-child dyads were gathered from parents, teachers and children. Mitigation of a wide range of factors previously identified as barriers to attendance was also attempted. A post-intervention survey was conducted to examine parents' insights into their attendance patterns. Overall, 91 parents attended and 44 failed to attend any workshops. Higher parent education and SEI, and better child language skills were good predictors of attendance (87%), but poor predictors of nonattendance (42%). Additionally, parent-child dyad profiles suggested that children of nonattending parents were more likely to benefit from workshop content than attenders' children. Survey data suggested that attenders organised their schedules to facilitate follow-through but nonattenders were unable to do so. Family characteristics and practical reasons were central, interacting factors affecting attendance. Parental self-organisation appeared to moderate follow-through and to stem from lifestyle constraints related to lower SEI and parent education. This produced high nonattendance rates in parents of children who most needed support. It is urgent to discover to what extent innovative delivery platforms currently being explored (e.g., internet/social media) can improve parental engagement.

Systematic review of interventions in the childcare setting with direct parental involvement: effectiveness on child weight status and energy balance-related behaviours

“…This may influence the effectiveness of these interventions. Reaching and involving parents is a major challenge in interventions aimed at involving parents [63]. Many practical considerations exert important influences on the parents’ ability to participate in interventions [59, 63].…”

“…Reaching and involving parents is a major challenge in interventions aimed at involving parents [63]. Many practical considerations exert important influences on the parents’ ability to participate in interventions [59, 63]. Nevertheless, the high reach of parents may be a precondition to increase intervention effectiveness.…”

Beyond Just the Average Effect: Variation in Head Start Treatment Effects on Parenting Behavior

“…Children’s early experiences with their caregivers are one of the most important inputs to their skill development (Crosnoe et al, 2010; Price, 2010; Villena-Roldán & Ríos-Aguilar, 2012; Waldfogel & Washbrook, 2011). Public programs—including home visiting and other parenting interventions—can be effective at changing parents’ behaviors (see Ryan & Padilla, 2018, for a review), but they often struggle to recruit and retain low-income parents (Heath et al, 2018), who often have irregular employment and child care schedules (Chaudry et al, 2012; Enchautegui, 2013; Mytton et al, 2014; Prinz & Sanders, 2007). It is thus judicious to consider additional ways to reach low-income families.…”

Feasibility Study of the Enhancing Parenting Skills Programme

“…Parenting programmes can be delivered in several formats including group-based, individual, and self-administered. However, there are practical and psychological obstacles that often prevent families from accessing parenting programmes (e.g., financial costs, transportation, stigma, work schedules) (Duppong-Hurley et al 2016;Heath et al 2018;Lavigne et al 2010;Sayal et al 2010). Parents' perceptions of barriers associated with parenting programmes, demands imposed by the intervention, relevance, and their relationship with the provider can also have an effect (Kazdin 1997).…”