Outcome-Network.org

Paper

Valuing Young Parents – Collaborative practice in working with teenage parents in outer Western Sydney in an early intervention and prevention model

• issue: Issue 1 / 2009
• authors: Karen van Woudenberg, Louisa McKay
• keywords: early intervention, Australia

• views: 3461
• downloaded: 0
• download pdf (80 Kb)

abstract

Background. 'Parenting Young' and 'Young Parents Network' are key projects of the Families NSW Early Intervention and Prevention Strategy (Previously Families First) of the New South Wales Department of Community Services. Families NSW is a State government strategy designed to support new parents who are pregnant and parenting children up to the age of 8 years. It is a whole of government strategy with the 5 Human Services of Health, Housing, Disability Services, Community Services and Education participating in collaborative projects to support all parents and especially the most vulnerable parents in our community including Aboriginal families, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) families, refugee families and Teenage Parents.

'Parenting Young' and the 'Young Parents Network' were set up in response to agencies wanting to improve service delivery to teenage parents. Parents under the age of 20 years make up 4.4% of Births in Western Sydney (2004) but are the least likely to access support services, attend mothers groups, access antenatal care, and they are less likely to breastfeed. They are overrepresented in maternal smoking statistics, low birth weight babies, and preterm infants (Families NSW Outcomes Framework 2004).

This paper presents the outcomes of three years of operation of the project. The projects outcomes were developed by the Families NSW Project leader designed to capture at project level, outcomes that were drawn from the evidence base of good practice indicators identified in key research world wide including reports from The Early Years Study (Fraser Mustard) and Families First (NSW Government). The outcomes identified for these projects included:

• improved parent child interaction,
• increased knowledge about matters including child development, health, hygiene and safety,
• increased satisfaction with their parenting skills,
• improved ability to plan, cope with life events and achieve their goals,
• increased use of appropriate health and community services,
• develop supportive relationships with family and friends.

Method. The projects work with parents under the age of 20 years living in the Penrith and Blue Mountains Local Government areas of Outer Western Sydney a community with higher levels of teenage parents in a community predominately consisting of families with young children, high levels of suburban development and pockets of disadvantage. The focus of the projects is to maintain an early intervention focus with the young parents and aims to boost parenting skills and give young parents a better understanding of child development. The network also gives access to other support services, connects young parents in the community and aims to increase self esteem and self confidence.

The projects use a collaborative service delivery model, working closely with health services, counselling agencies, home visiting agencies and youth accommodation providers. Additional services such as camps, social days and external training courses provide the parents with opportunities to explore skills, knowledge and social networks in a non-judgemental environment and encourage personal growth and empowerment.

The weekly program operates on a rotating roster of partner agency workers that form a core working party, meeting each quarter to develop a responsive strengths based program. Each project also has a parent advisory group to encourage parents to design and run activities as part of the program. The group runs on an informal basis and the key aim is to build relationships with the young parents and offer support and advice at one venue.

Upon starting in the group, each parent completes an information sheet with contact details and general information about the family structure and supports. The parent is also asked to identify any issues they would like information or support in.

Each term a program is developed around the information parents are seeking, support services they nominate to hear from and a mixture of social and recreational activities. The emphasis is building relationships between the parents and with the service workers as well as increasing parent's knowledge, self esteem and confidence as parents.

Evaluation and reflection on outcomes. Each group is evaluated weekly and an outcomes sheet is completed by the working party staff in attendance who debrief after each session, to evaluate the session and plan for follow up contact with parents observed or identified as requiring additional support. Evaluation information is also collected by periodical surveys and focussed discussions with the parents. Feedback is also collected by partner agencies regarding increased utilisation of services, improvement in parent/child relationship, improved expectations of child, improved social networks, and demonstrated capacity to plan and work towards life and career goals.

Follow up activities are developed according to interests identified by the group such as communication and leaderships skills, jewellery making, computer classes, exercise and relaxation classes.

Over the past three years the projects have recorded 70%-100% improvement by young parents in the six outcomes of the project (see Table 1). Teenage parents are capable nurturing parents and with appropriate support systems can make positive parenting and life choices that have lasting effect. The key to successful service provision for this population has been the following conditions:

• building relationships with the parents in a non judgemental environment where there are opportunities to interact with the young parents in both formal and informal experiences e.g. all workers participate in pampering days, jewellery making and craft as well as presenting information on child development and health, relationships, self esteem etc.,
• providing a program that is developed in response to issues/ interests identified by the participants and empowers the parents to make decisions about the program,
• onsite child minding for all activities and transportation to and from the group,
• cooperative partners willing to participate in a rotational roster of group services including a counsellor/family worker each week to offer onsite counselling, early childhood nurse or medical professional, drug and alcohol services, and a coordinator to pull together the working party and support the ongoing program,
• access to additional programs such as parenting, education and relationship courses to support the parents in making life choices.

Supports for teenage parents need to be non judgemental and provided in a respectful environment focusing on the strengths that the parents bring to their families and parenting. All parents inherently desire to do the best for their children and our role is to support them in navigating through the early years of their parenting and build resilient families.

Tab. 1 - Key Findings

NB in 2005-06 outcome data collection was modified to improve data collection

Spin off projects:

• 2006 Young Mums and Babies for new mothers under the age of 19 (10 parents for 8 weeks),
• Mothers Swimming Group 2007,
• Communications and Leadership Course 10 participants attended 2007,
• Young Parents Camp (20 participants with partners) 2007,
• -Young Parents Mentoring Course (15 participants) 2008.

 Key references

Apte, J. & Davis, S. (2000). The Families First Resource Kit. NSW Cabinet Office www.parenting.nsw.gov.au.

Ley, J. (2004). Parenting Young, A Service Development Manual. Mountains Outreach Community Services http://www.mocs.org.au/parentingyoung.htm.

NSW Commission for Children and Young People (2004, June). Families First Outcomes Framework NSW Data Report. Population Outcome measures for children, families and communities in NSW, Australia.

Contacts: Karen van Woudenberg, Mission Australia and NSW Government Families NSW Strategy, P.O. Box 60 Penrith NSW 2751, Phone  +61 2 4732 7828 e-mail: kvanwoudenberg@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au