The Resilient Families Program Pre- and Post-COVID: Does Modality of Intervention Matter? — ASN Events
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  2. Podium - Positive Psychology and e-Health, Resilient Families, and Building Capacity of Families with Children with Disability, and Gratitude and Generosity
  3. The Resilient Families Program Pre- and Post-COVID: Does Modality of Intervention Matter?

The Resilient Families Program Pre- and Post-COVID: Does Modality of Intervention Matter? (#271)

Katherine Bono 1 , Melanie Horn Mallers 1 , JudelMay Enriquez 1 , Nora Castro 1
  1. BRICK Consulting, Brea, CA, United States

Background 

For the past 7 years, we have implemented a community-based education program called the Resilient Families Program (RFP) via Head Start, school district, and homeless shelter sites. RFP is designed for at-risk families with preschool-aged children to strengthen parent-child attachment, improve children’s executive function skills, and reduce family stress. Literature indicates that children who face adversity can show signs of resilience and exhibit positive outcomes if these building blocks are developed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we shifted our modality from in-person to virtual.

 Aims

In the present study, we provide a brief overview of the program, results from pre-post data collection, and program adaptations when we transitioned to online learning. We also compare findings of the impact of RFP on resilience between in-person- and virtual parents.

Method

In RFP, parents meet once a week for 8 consecutive weeks, with a trained implementer. Concurrently, the children’s curriculum is implemented by teachers in the classroom. Families receive books and games to continue RFP goals at home. Data collection consists of quantitative pre-post survey data, as well as qualitative exit interviews.  During COVID, several adaptations were made including creating videos and shortening sessions for parents, while giving more handouts and resources.

Results

Previous analyses conducted with 165 in-person parents showed significant pre to post improvements in parental depression, mindfulness, stress, daily hassles, parent-child closeness, child behavior problems, and executive function.  For the present study, we will present our research on the impact of RFP on our virtual families, as well as the extent to which modality influenced both barriers to program implementation (e.g., accessibility, appropriateness) and moderated parents’ experiences of resilience. 

Conclusion

Despite the fact that “life is returning to normal”, online learning has transformed our approach to education and is likely not going away. Thus, we also share some lessons learned that can be helpful, including strategies to build collaboration, and the importance of maintaining a flexible and iterative process.

  1. Diamond, A. and Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4-12 years of age. Science, 333(6045), 959-964.
  2. Duckworth, A. L., & Carlson, S. M. (2013). Self-regulation and school success. Self­ regulation and autonomy: Social and developmental dimensions of human conduct, 40, 208
  3. Greenberg, M.T. and Harris, A.R. (2012). Nurturing mindfulness in children and youth: current state of research. Child Development Perspectives, 6{2), 161-166.
  4. Kelly, J.F., Buehlman, K. and Caldwell, K. (2000), Training personnel to promote quality parent-child Interaction in families who are homeless, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 174-85.
  5. Bono, K., Horn Mallers, M., Shih, E.Y.H., Enriquez, J., & Lu, V. (April, 2019). Resilient families program: Changes in parental well-being and parent-child relationship. Paper session presented at the Western Psychological Association, Pasadena, CA.
  6. Shih, E.Y.H., Bono, K., Lu, V., Horn Mallers, M.,Enriquez, J., Yiu, T.K., & Zada, J. (April, 2019). Resilient families program. Changes in children’s social, behavioral, and executive function outcomes. Poster session presented at the Western Psychological Association, Pasadena, CA.
  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Family, Parenting, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth
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