Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC)
| CfC FP Objective | Supporting families and parents Create strong child-friendly communities |
| Delivered to | Disadvantaged parents/carers of children aged 2 to 12. |
| Delivered by | Trained family support workers, community workers |
| Delivery setting | Community-based |
| Program developer | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, VIC. & Centre for Parent Child Support U.K |
About the program
EPEC is a peer-to-peer program that trains parents to deliver the ‘Being a Parent’ (BAP) course in their communities. The BAP course aims to help parents develop positive communication and parenting skills, emotional literacy, and to encourage parents to be mindful of how their words and actions can impact on children’s wellbeing.
Program structure
The program has 2 components. Parents in the community take part in a 10-week facilitator training course to deliver the BAP course. Pairs of trained parent facilitators then deliver a program to groups of parents over the course of 8 weekly, 2.5-hour sessions.
Evaluation and effectiveness
A randomised controlled trial (Day, et al., 2012a) and one cohort study of the program in the UK (Day, et al., 2012b) found significant improvements in parenting competencies and child outcomes. Parent engagement and satisfaction was high.
An Australian evaluation (Winter, 2013) found completion of the program resulted in improved parenting skills and parent self-esteem. Parents also reported improvements in their children's behaviour.
References
Day, C., Michelson, D., Thomson, S., Penney, C. & Draper, L. (2012). Evaluation of a peer-led parenting intervention for disruptive behaviour problems in children: community based randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 344, p.e1107.
Day, C., Michelson, D., Thomson, S., Penney, C. & Draper, L. (2012). Innovations in Practice: Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities: A pilot evaluation of a peer‐led parenting programme. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17(1), 52-57.
Winter, R. (2013). Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities. Melbourne: Prepared for Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Tasmania Early Years Foundation.