Implementing and Evaluating an Initial Pilot Trial of the Parenting for Lifelong Health Group-Based Parenting Program for 2-9 Year Olds in Montenegro

Introduction: This paper describes a project funded by UNICEF Country Office in Montenegro to train and support local facilitators from across Montenegro to deliver the Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children parenting program for parents of 2-9 year olds. The program was developed to offer a low-cost parenting program to prevent and reduce violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. It introduces evidence informed principles to increase positive parenting and reduce coercive parenting behaviors. The project was initiated by UNICEF Country Office in Montenegro as part of their plan to prevent and reduce violence against children. UNICEF worked with service providers across Montenegro to inform them about the program, gauge the need for such a program within their agencies and, if they expressed interest, to identify group leaders from within their agency.

Methods: Skilled professionals, psychologists, pedagogues, and social workers, were recruited from within existing services and received four days training. A fifth day was spent with service managers and group leaders to ensure that they could deliver the infrastructure needed to support program delivery. Eight groups were run during early 2018 involving 17 leaders who videotaped their group sessions and received three live supervision sessions and seven SKYPE supervisions. Seventy-nine parents enrolled and completed baseline measures collected by group leaders. UNICEF funded an independent researcher to collect follow-up measures and undertake qualitative interviews.

Results: Program trainees reported satisfaction with the program and the training. Seventy-one parents (89%) attended at least one session and 73% attended 9+ of the 12-session program. Parents reported satisfaction with the program. Sixty-four parents (88%) completed follow-up measures. Measures of child behavior, parenting behaviors and parental depression all showed significant improvements at the p< .001 level, with small to large clinical effect size results.

Conclusions: The Sinovuyo Caring Families program was successfully implemented with good levels of satisfaction and positive outcomes for families. UNICEF is now funding support for leaders delivering the program for a second time and the plan is to embed the program in Montenegro through further group leader training in 2019 and the development of local coaches and subsequently local trainers.