Parent training: effectiveness of the Parents Plus Early Years programme in community preschool settings

Abstract

Evidenced based parent training (PT) programmes offer an important intervention strategy to improve early behavioural and emotional difficulties for young children. Initial research highlights the benefits of incorporating PT within local community services such as preschools. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Parents Plus Early Years (PPEY) programme when delivered by preschool practitioners in their communities. Parents of 277 preschool children completed a seven week PPEY programme, with outcome measures collected pre- and post-intervention. The results indicate parents completing the PPEY reported reduced parental stress and child difficulties as well as improved parenting satisfaction and parenting goal achievement. The results demonstrate the unique attributes and potential that preschool PPEY programmes can offer as a cost effective and sustainable resource for early intervention with young children and their families.

Keywords:

• parent training (PT)
• preschool
• early intervention
• Parents Plus
• conduct disorders

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Early Years Access Initiative, Ireland.