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. 

Facilitator training

In-person training is required. To implement the program in Australia, a licensing agreement needs to be agreed with Centre for Parent and Child Support, UK and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Vic.

Cost

Cost of having local parents trained and supervised to lead BaP in other areas: $8,000 for 2 practitioners (minimum)

EPEC is currently offered in Brimbank and Hume regions. Cost of offering Being a Parent (BaP), groups to local parents in and around the Brimbank and Hume regions: $2,000 per parent.

Cost to develop a new EPEC BaP Hub for your local area: Approximately $50,000 over 2 years for a coordinated regional approach to implement an EPEC hub that can service a number of sites. 

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.