September 29, 2008 Tara Duhaney Health Promotion Coordinator, 3 Cheers

1. What do Parent’s Want? An Exploratory assessment of the parenting needs and desires of parents with children 0-6 years residing in the Calgary Health Region September 29, 2008 Tara Duhaney Health Promotion Coordinator, 3 Cheers

2. Context and Background • In 2007, 3 Cheers Parenting Initiatives Committee commissioned: • a review of the literature that would identify evidence-based programs and/or strategies that, if implemented, would increase the initiative's ability to address and support improved capacity for healthy parenting practices; and • an environmental scan that would identify present and future factors that might influence the direction and goals of the 3 Cheers Parenting Initiative Committee's actions towards improving the capacity for healthy parenting practices.

3. Environmental Scan Findings • Notable findings revealed that: • Decisions around program planning for parents are often made with limited knowledge or consideration for the actual needs and desires of the population being served • Few parenting programs have undergone formal or rigorous evaluation in Canada • While Calgary has a wide range of programs/services that support parents and families, most are targeted programs and not necessarily perceived as being available or accessible to all parents • There is a lack of information about the actual needs and desires of parents in the Calgary region (and Canada) with respect to parenting To this end…

4. Report Recommendations • Recommendation 4: “ a comprehensive, population level, community-based parental needs assessment should be undertaken to determine the specific parenting-related needs of parents residing within the Calgary region who have children aged 0 to 6 years”

5. Significance and Relevance • The first population-level, community-based study examining parents’ parenting needs and barriers with parents themselves • Findings will build on local, provincial, and national research, including: • Early Years Study II, 2007 • Dr. Wendy Lamont – Parenting Lit Review and Environmental Scan • Invest In Kids National Surveys and Research • ACCFCR: What We Know About Child Development: A Provincial Benchmark Survey, 2007 • ACCFCR: What We Know About Child Development: A Provincial Benchmark Survey – 3 Cheers Report - 2008 • 3 Cheers Evaluations (Howard Research, DSRT) • Healthy Attachment: An Overview and Environmental Scan, 2007

6. What is the purpose of the PNA? Goal: • To inform future strategies for promoting healthy parenting in the Calgary Health Region Objectives: • To identify the information and delivery needs of parents and caregivers with children 0-6 in the CHR • To identify ways to increase the accessibility and cultural relevance of parenting information and supports to specific parent populations • To improve professional service delivery of appropriate parenting supports and services by disseminating key findings about parents’ needs

7. What do we want to know? • What are the concerns, issues and barriers to accessing/utilizing parenting support services • What are the specific needs and interests of parents with children 0-6 years residing in the CHR? • What are the gaps in information and program delivery • How do parents want to receive parenting information/supports?

8. How is the information being gathered? • Phase 1: Parent Focus Groups (Aug-Sept 2008) • Parent Sub-groups • Immigrant parents • Aboriginal parents (N=5) • Rural parents • Urban parents (N=10) • Phase 2:Mail Questionnaire (Oct.-Dec. 2008) • Representative sample (N-1060) of parents selected from known lists of parents who attend immunization visits within the CHR • Questions designed to elicit: • Parents’ information/support needs • Preferred method/format of receiving parenting education/support • Barriers to accessing/utilizing parenting information/help • How needs/barriers differ between and among different sub-groups of parents (i.e., moms vs. dads; working vs. stay-at-home; rural vs. urban)

9. Phase 1: Preliminary Themes • Parents want and value both formal and informal supports: • Better post-partum care/follow-up • Programs /resources/supports for fathers, • Licensed child care • Parent programs run by a qualified health professional • Timely access to information (e.g., Health Link) • Coordinated and consistent information • Topics/issues on which parents would like additional information or support included • Developmental milestones, feeding, sleep, car seats • Parenting beyond first year • Support for fathers (during pregnancy and beyond) • Support/Information for parental coping and well-being • Acknowledgement and validation of different parenting styles • Informal sources of support (chat groups, drop-in programs)

10. Phase 1: Preliminary Themes • Challenges/barriers to accessing parenting information or help: • Programming: time, hours, cost, space, availability, format • Information overload: “I feel like a hunter” • Lack of awareness/knowledge • Lack of system/structural support: family doctors, paediatricians, maternity leave, transition back to work) • How can we respond? • Offer more support in the community • Flexible hours: evening, weekends • More collaborative, coordinated and consistent provision of information and support • Programming (formal and informal) that caters to parental well-being

11. Dissemination Plan • Formal ‘launch’ of findings • Written report and executive summary • Local and National Conferences • Community presentations

12. Questions/Comments/Feedback?