Here information is provided on research conducted in partner countries to help ascertain the effectiveness of parenting support activities and also the identification of what works well.
Research and Evaluation in Parent Education
The Netherlands has a growing range of parenting support facilities. However, information about the effects and quality of the services provided remains sparse. Local authorities and the commissioning organizations therefore turn to upon programmes which have been successfully implemented elsewhere, including the United States and Australia, and which have proven their worth by means of scientific research. Without hard evidence of results, the many years' hard work which professionals at grassroots level have conducted on behalf of countless satisfied parents could go unrecognized.
In the Netherlands two well-known parenting support programmes for families with young children are Opstap ('Step up' in English) and Home-Start. Paraprofessionals and volunteers play a crucial role in the implementation of these programmes. Here we examine the evaluation methods used by the programmes and present the results of scientific research. First, however, we must provide a brief explanation of the terms 'evaluation' and 'research'.
(Marian van Beek, NJi Youth)
