Family Foundations Program for New Parents

(FF2 Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Not first child

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

1200 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the Family Foundations Coparenting Program treatment?

Research shows that the Family Foundations Program helps new parents by reducing stress, improving their relationship, and enhancing their parenting skills. It also positively impacts children's emotional well-being and behavior, especially in families with boys. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Family Foundations Program for New Parents safe for participants?

The Family Foundations Program, which focuses on improving coparenting relationships, has been tested in various studies and found to be acceptable and feasible for participants, including low-income and minority parents. These studies did not report any safety concerns, suggesting that the program is generally safe for participants. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

How does the Family Foundations Coparenting Program differ from other treatments for new parents?

The Family Foundations Coparenting Program is unique because it focuses on improving the coparenting relationship between new parents, which can enhance family resilience and reduce stress during the transition to parenthood. Unlike other treatments that may target individual parenting skills, this program emphasizes the importance of parents working together, which has shown long-term benefits for both parents and children, especially during stressful times like the COVID-19 pandemic. ^{2 3 6 10 11}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This is a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Foundations program and to better understand how families cope with having a new baby. The research questions include: What is the effectiveness of the Family Foundations program? How do families cope with having a new baby?

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for couples who are expecting their first child, living together, and planning to raise the child jointly. Both partners must be at least 18 years old.

Inclusion Criteria

Expecting first child

Couple living together and planning to raise child together

Exclusion Criteria

Not first child

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Couples in the Intervention Group received the Family Foundations Coparenting Program

Up to 2.5 years

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for coparenting quality, aggressive parenting, and cardiovascular disease risk

8 years

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Family Foundations Coparenting Program

Trial Overview The study is testing the Family Foundations program's effectiveness in helping families adjust to having a new baby and improving parent-child relationships.

Participant Groups

Group I: Intervention Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Couples randomly assigned to the Intervention Group received the Family Foundations Coparenting Program.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

Couples in the Control group did not receive the Family Foundations Coparenting Program.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

Findings from Research

The Family Foundations Home Visiting program, adapted for low-income parents, showed significant improvements in mental health outcomes, such as reduced depression and PTSD symptoms, for both mothers and fathers after completing the intervention.

Parents who participated in the program also exhibited increased affection, engagement, and sensitivity towards their infants, suggesting that enhancing coparenting can positively impact child development, similar to results seen in more affluent families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations. Ammerman, RT., Peugh, JL., Teeters, AR., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Family and Child Outcomes 2 Years After a Transition to Parenthood Intervention. [2023]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of family foundations on parents and children: 3.5 years after baseline. [2022]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Relating engagement to outcomes in prevention: the case of a parenting program for couples. [2021]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parents' Perceptions and Experiences of Parenting Programmes: A Systematic Review and Metasynthesis of the Qualitative Literature. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improvements in Unmarried African American Parents' Rapport, Communication, and Problem-Solving Following a Prenatal Coparenting Intervention. [2022]

6. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Strengthening positive coparenting in teen parents: a cultural adaptation of an evidence-based intervention. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A culturally grounded prenatal coparenting intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial with unmarried Black parents. [2023]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations. [2022]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Breast-feeding Coparenting Framework: A New Framework to Improve Breast-feeding Duration and Exclusivity. [2019]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Building long-term family resilience through universal prevention: 10-year parent and child outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. [2023]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coparenting and the transition to parenthood: a framework for prevention. [2023]