Parenting for Lifelong Health

New paper just published in The BMJ on the scale-up of Parenting for Lifelong Health's programme for parents and adolescents in Tanzania! https://lnkd.in/eNtFjW9p This study is the first to use a non-randomised design to evaluate the pre–post changes of an evidence-based parenting programme delivered at scale as part of routine services in a low-income and middle-income country. Conducted within a broader community-based HIV prevention initiative targeting families with adolescent girls, it significantly contributes to our understanding of how such programmes can reduce VAC—a major factor driving HIV incidence among adolescent girls. Additionally, it highlights the challenges of relying on implementing agencies to collect monitoring and evaluation data during large-scale delivery. Results showing reductions in caregiver-reported and adolescent-reported physical and emotional maltreatment suggest that the programme has sustained impacts beyond initial randomised controlled trial testing. Reported reductions in intimate partner violence by female parents/caregivers and school-based violence by adolescent girls suggest wider potential impacts of a programme primarily focused on parent–child relationships. Congratulations to all who were involved including Pact, Clowns Without Borders South Africa, The Evaluation Fund: Reducing Violence Against Children, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) - Tanzania, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Joyce Wamoyi, Yulia Shenderovich, Mackenzie Martin, PhD, Nyasha Manjengenja (PhD), Francisco Calderón, and others!

On the sidelines of the Global Ministerial End Violence Against Children meeting, I had the opportunity to do a brief presentation on Parenting in the early years, convened by the team at Parenting for Lifelong Health. Some of my takeaways from the event: 1. It was underscored at this event and throughout the ministerial that universal access to parenting programs is a proven intervention to end violence against children. Specifically, gender transformative parenting programs that address interpersonal conflicts within families has proven impact on improving quality of child wellbeing - sounds like a no brainer - yet examples of gender transformative parenting programs that are delivered at scale are few and far imbetween. 2. Second, there is compelling evidence that digital parenting programs show impact on families with little to no inperson scaffolds - I confess I’m very intrigued by this, and hoping to see more evidence at scale 3. For scaling parenting programs, not only do programs need to be flexible and adaptable so they ‘fit’ into government system, but also leverage private sector to drive demand - I’d love to discover examples of private sector innovations that increase parenting knowledge and wellbeing. Thanks to Lucie Cluver Isang Awah Jamie Lachman and the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) team for giving us the opportunity to share examples from Grand Challenges Canada’s Saving Brains portfolio. And thanks to all the other speakers who continue to provoke thinking and reflection on how we can be more effective in reaching parents and families.

Really happy to share my latest research in JMIR Publications which examines the potential of chatbots to deliver parenting interventions at scale. Parenting programs play a critical role in enhancing caregiver mental health, family well-being, and improving child development outcomes, but scaling them remains a significant challenge. As highlighted by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in August, supporting parents is absolutely critical to family well-being. Understanding our best delivery mechanisms to scale up this support is important for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Our systematic review assessed the feasibility and acceptability of using chatbots for these interventions, and while the preliminary findings are promising, there is a clear need for further research to standardize approaches and ensure scalability. This work highlights an emerging area that could transform how we support parents and families, particularly in expanding access to critical resources. Big thanks to my co-authors, Andrew Rosenblatt, Jamie Lachman, and Frances Gardner, as well as the support of the Global Parenting Initiative, Parenting for Lifelong Health, and the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council. If you’re interested in digital health, parenting interventions, or evaluation of chatbot-based interventions, take a look, or give this audio summary a listen! Paper: https://lnkd.in/eHfS7iyJ Podcast-style summary: https://lnkd.in/e6RGQs_j

Parenting for Lifelong Health is looking for an area consultant to work on a potential project in 2025 providing technical support on the scale up of evidence-based parenting programmes in the Pacific region. Please share! #jobopportunity

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GPI researchers developed a series of video vignettes to demonstrate examples of positive, #PlayfulParenting as part of the Parenting within the Public Health System in Thailand study. This was in collaboration with Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) and the Peace Culture Foundation. These videos depict the application of various PLH #parenting skills to be used as the basis for parent group discussions, as well as scenarios and challenges that parents of children aged 2-17 years in #Thailand may face in their day-to-day lives. Available in Thai and English, you can watch (and share!) them on the PLH YouTube channel. 🔗 Click here: https://lnkd.in/dWS-j2Rh