Using Technology to Reach Families with Age-paced Parenting Information

1. Using Technology to Reach Families with Age-paced Parenting Information University of Wisconsin-Extension Nan Baumgartner, Fond du Lac County Donna Doll-Yogerst, Oconto County Carol Ostergren, State Specialist Dave Riley, State Specialist Barbara Stoffel-Emde, Racine County

3. 3 Series of Age-Paced Newsletters • Parenting the First Year • Parenting the 2nd & 3rd Years • Preparing to Parent

4. Newsletter Features: • Research-based • Age-Paced to reach parents at a “Teachable Moment” • Can reach socially isolated families • Can be shared with others • Low cost • Available in Spanish • Easy to read and understand

5. Goals of Parenting Newsletters • To help expectant parents have a healthy pregnancy and baby • To promote competent parenting • To prevent child maltreatment

6. History of the Newsletter Project • The first edition of PFY was produced by 2 Extension agents in Northern Wisconsin in 1982. • Current editions written by university faculty. • Local partnerships promoted statewide distribution of newsletters. • About 550,000 families have received PFY since project began. • This means about 1 in every 10 WI residents has been raised by a parent who received this parenting program.

7. Newsletters Evaluated Locally by County UWEX Educators • Send survey to parents • Collect data and put it into database • Collaborate with state partners to analyze data • Produce an evaluation report • Provide educational presentations of evaluation findings

8. Are the Newsletters Effective? • Parents really read the newsletters • Parents rate the PFY newsletters “very useful” • About 2/3 of parents share the newsletters

9. Are the Newsletters Effective? Parents report positive changes in their parenting • Talk more with their babies and toddlers • Start toddlers doing chores • Set rules and limits with children • Provide safer home environments • Smile, kiss and hug baby more • Respond more quickly to baby’s cries

10. What Have Parents Said? • “I probably wouldn’t have talked to my child when he was an infant if I hadn’t read these newsletters.” • “The newsletters have been a big help in controlling my frustration when the baby cries for hours on end! Thank you.” • “The newsletters helped me to be more responsive to my baby, because I found out that the games we play and the things we do are not just fun, but also helpful in my baby’s development.”

11. Are the Newsletters Effective? In a treatment-control group study, 550 parents who received Parenting the First Year • Had attitudes significantly less like those of child abusing parents • Reported slapping or spanking their babies fewer times in the previous week • Provided more stimulating home environments

12. Are the Newsletters Effective? • In a randomized, controlled trial, mothers who received the British version of the newsletters for a year: • Reported a lower frequency and intensity of perceived “parenting daily hassles”. • Had more appropriate expectations of their baby’s behavior.

13. Distributing the Newsletters • Through the mail has been the most common delivery method for PFY and PSTY. • Face-to-face delivery, such as in clinics and home visitation • New - Electronic delivery

14. Local Collaborators • 70 County Extension Offices • 165 Kiwanis Clubs • 77 Local Hospitals • 22 City or County Health Departments • 49 Other Partners, for example -Hospital Auxiliaries -Home & Community Education Clubs -Lioness Clubs -Optimist International Clubs -Private Businesses -School Districts

15. OCONTO COUNTY EXPERIENCE

16. Oconto County Experience • Partnership with Oconto County DDHS-PH Division • Supported by donations Options for Parents: • US PO mailed • Donations for their newsletter and option to sponsor other families • Electronic delivery

17. Survey of Oconto County Parents Findings: • 50% will pay $10 • 50% will not pay $10  • 99.94% said yes to email newsletter – only .06% said no Additionally: • 38 called to ask to be changed to e-delivery • $310 donated for hard copy delivery

18. FOND DU LAC COUNTY EXPERIENCE

19. Fond du Lac County Experience History - PFY • Began in 1993 to address parent education needs • Partners: Kiwanis clubs and local hospital – initial project “first time parents” only • Expanded to all parents after 1994 evaluation • Conducted 2nd evaluation in 2006 • Other periodic partners: Morning Rotary and Fond du Lac County POCAN

20. Fond du Lac County Experience History – PSTY • 1997 - Collaborators piloted newsletter on subscription basis • 1999 – POCAN grant funded series to reach all parents – 2 year commitment • First evaluation in 2000 – repeated in 2006 • Original partners made a commitment to increase their support, which continues today

21. Fond du Lac County Experience • Estimated total cost of both- between $10,000 – $13,000 • Kiwanis clubs fund approximately $5000 • Hospital funds the remaining costs • UWEX provides “manpower” for maintaining labels, mailing and updating addresses when issues returned • English and Spanish versions • Currently exploring an electronic option

22. RACINE COUNTY EXPERIENCE

23. East & West Racine County

24. Racine County UW-Extension Parenting Newsletter Advisory Team

25. William McReynolds, Racine County Executive

26. 2008 -- English distribution

27. 2009 – Spanish distribution

30. Why Electronic Delivery? • Cost– local partners want to reduce project costs by using e-delivery • Generational differences in information seeking (Oconto Co. survey) • Desire to be more “green” • Others have started using e-delivery -some local hospitals -national eXtension -Racine County

31. Electronic Delivery • Monthly emails with a link to the newsletter for their child’s age. • Free for parents and local project partners • Local collaborators continue to play an important role - help advertise this resource so parents know about it.

35. Opportunities for County Extension Educators • If your county does not distribute parenting newsletters: • Begin free E-delivery of the newsletters • The only cost is your time to advertise the website to new parents • Contact Carol Ostergren or Dave Riley if you’d like to talk about starting the project • costergr@wisc.edu or dariley@wisc.edu

36. Opportunities for County Extension Educators • If you already distribute Parenting the First Year: • Expand to include E-delivery • Expand delivery to Parenting the 2nd & 3rd Years • Expand delivery to Preparing to Parent • Evaluate to demonstrate your impacts and create local enthusiasm for the project.

37. Opportunities for County Extension Educators • If you are interested in finding out more about the newsletter project • Check out the project instructions and resources (nuts and bolts assistance) on our website forParent Educators • http://fyi.uwex.edu/using-parenting-newsletters/ • Carol & Dave will be happy to talk with you about the project!

38. Future Technology to Reach Families • Podcasting • Face Book • Twitter • Texting- text4baby

39. Questions & Answers Q & A

40. Parenting Newsletter Website: http://parenting.uwex.edu