Family Foundations
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help help residents access health services and promote healthy childhood environments. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve these outcomes are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
- Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program overview
- Preparing couples to parent together: Family Foundations is a parenting support and education program for expectant couples. By preparing parents for the physical and psychological challenges of parenthood, Family Foundations aims to improve social and emotional outcomes for both children and parents.
Delivering sessions before and after birth: Family Foundations is delivered over an eight to nine week period, with four or five two-hour sessions occurring before the child is born and four occurring after the birth. The program is typically conducted in a healthcare setting, at a community-based organization, or virtually.
Building parenting skills: Family Foundations takes a “team approach,” which focuses on building the capacity of both parents to work together in raising their children. The sessions cover a range of topics, including adjusting to parenthood (e.g., self-regulation and handling stress), co-parenting strategies (e.g., avoiding and managing conflict), and recognizing emotions and moods in children.
Adapting to couples’ needs and contexts: Family Foundations materials and exercises are flexible enough to be adapted to the needs and values of different families in the program. Variations of Family Foundations are also available, which tailor the program to the needs of specific populations, such as teen parents, military families, low-income adult parents, and more.
- Cost per Participant
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$50 per participant
Multiple studies with rigorous designs provide some evidence for Family Foundations as a strategy for improving parenting ability and social and emotional outcomes for both parents and children.
- This assessment is based on evidence from a 2022 systematic review.
Note: This content is under review.
Create a recruitment system: The Family Foundations program aims to work with couples beginning four to five weeks before their due date. Implementing agencies should develop a process to identify and recruit eligible families at an earlier stage in their pregnancy. For instance, when implemented in a healthcare context, providers may share information about Family Foundations and refer participants during regular prenatal wellness visits.
Offer flexible delivery options: Families differ in how they prefer to access services and in the barriers they face to doing so. To ensure Family Foundations is accessible to the largest number of families in a community, implementing agencies should consider offering both traditional, in-person sessions and virtual options.
Identify additional resources for participants: Promoting positive outcomes for young families requires taking a holistic approach to the wellbeing of the child and parents. As such, sites implementing the Family Foundations model should establish relationships with internal and external programs that support expectant and new parents (e.g., patient navigator services or social service agencies). Such relationships allow program staff to connect parents with services that meet their other needs, such as access to food, housing, transportation, and more.
Establish processes to ensure fidelity: When implementing Family Foundations, an agency should integrate quality assurance mechanisms to ensure the model is being implemented with fidelity. The Family Foundations program office offers checklists, which observers can use to assess whether key program components are included in each session.