Nurturing Parenting Program: A Study of Engagement and Activities During the Parent and Child Activity Time
Abstract
The Nurturing Parent Program (NPP) aims to build protective factors in families such as: nurturing, attachment, social connections, parental resilience and knowledge of child development. This qualitative study looked specifically at the activities and engagement between parents and children during the parent and child activity time. First, 13 trained children’s facilitators of the NPP from 10 different sites across North Dakota participated in a focus group during the annual statewide conference. Next, adult NPP participants (n = 11) were interviewed on NPP and parent-child activity time. Most facilitators felt the curriculum was outdated and could list activities that produced high levels of engagement, but often these were supplemental activities they found elsewhere. Interviews with parents resulted in a list of parent-child activities that they valued. Most did not mention family time as a component they disliked, but rather the problem of straying off topic during the parent facilitator sessions.