Using Technology to Reach Families with Age-

paced Parenting Information

University of Wisconsin-Extension Nan Baumgartner, Fond du Lac County

Donna Doll-Yogerst, Oconto CountyCarol Ostergren, State Specialist

Dave Riley, State SpecialistBarbara Stoffel-Emde, Racine County

3 Series of Age-Paced Newsletters

• Parenting the First Year

• Parenting the 2nd & 3rd Years

• Preparing to Parent

Newsletter Features:

• Research-based• Age-Paced to reach parents at a

“Teachable Moment”• Can reach socially isolated

families• Can be shared with others• Low cost• Available in Spanish• Easy to read and understand

Goals of Parenting Newsletters

• To help expectant parents have a healthy pregnancy and baby

• To promote competent parenting

• To prevent child maltreatment

History of the Newsletter Project

• The first edition of PFY was produced by 2 Extension agents in Northern Wisconsin in 1982.

• Current editions written by university faculty.

• Local partnerships promoted statewide distribution of newsletters.

• About 550,000 families have received PFY since project began.

• This means about 1 in every 10 WI residents has been raised by a parent who received this parenting program.

Newsletters Evaluated Locally by County UWEX Educators

• Send survey to parents• Collect data and put it into database• Collaborate with state partners to

analyze data• Produce an evaluation report• Provide educational presentations of

evaluation findings

Are the Newsletters Effective?

• Parents really read the newsletters

• Parents rate the PFY newsletters “very useful”

• About 2/3 of parents share the newsletters

Are the Newsletters Effective?

Parents report positive changes in their parenting

• Talk more with their babies and toddlers• Start toddlers doing chores• Set rules and limits with children• Provide safer home environments• Smile, kiss and hug baby more• Respond more quickly to baby’s cries

What Have Parents Said?

• “I probably wouldn’t have talked to my child when he was an infant if I hadn’t read these newsletters.”

• “The newsletters have been a big help in controlling my frustration when the baby cries for hours on end! Thank you.”

• “The newsletters helped me to be more responsive to my baby, because I found out that the games we play and the things we do are not just fun, but also helpful in my baby’s development.”

Are the Newsletters Effective?

In a treatment-control group study, 550 parents who received Parenting the First Year

• Had attitudes significantly less like those of child abusing parents

• Reported slapping or spanking their babies fewer times in the previous week

• Provided more stimulating home environments

Are the Newsletters Effective?

• In a randomized, controlled trial, mothers who received the British version of the newsletters for a year:

• Reported a lower frequency and intensity of perceived “parenting daily hassles”.

• Had more appropriate expectations of their baby’s behavior.

Distributing the Newsletters

• Through the mail has been the most common delivery method for PFY and PSTY.

• Face-to-face delivery, such as in clinics and home visitation

• New - Electronic delivery

Local Collaborators

• 70 County Extension Offices

• 165 Kiwanis Clubs

• 77 Local Hospitals

• 22 City or County Health Departments

• 49 Other Partners, for example -Hospital Auxiliaries-Home & Community Education Clubs-Lioness Clubs-Optimist International Clubs-Private Businesses-School Districts

OCONTO COUNTY EXPERIENCE

Oconto County Experience

• Partnership with Oconto County DDHS-PH Division

• Supported by donations

Options for Parents:• US PO mailed• Donations for their newsletter and

option to sponsor other families• Electronic delivery

Survey of Oconto County Parents

Findings:• 50% will pay $10• 50% will not pay $10 • 99.94% said yes to email newsletter –

only .06% said no

Additionally:• 38 called to ask to be changed to e-

delivery• $310 donated for hard copy delivery

FOND DU LAC COUNTY EXPERIENCE

Fond du Lac County Experience

History - PFY• Began in 1993 to address parent

education needs• Partners: Kiwanis clubs and local hospital

– initial project “first time parents” only• Expanded to all parents after 1994

evaluation • Conducted 2nd evaluation in 2006• Other periodic partners: Morning Rotary

and Fond du Lac County POCAN

Fond du Lac County Experience

History – PSTY• 1997 - Collaborators piloted newsletter

on subscription basis• 1999 – POCAN grant funded series to

reach all parents – 2 year commitment• First evaluation in 2000 – repeated in

2006• Original partners made a commitment

to increase their support, which continues today

Fond du Lac County Experience

• Estimated total cost of both- between $10,000 – $13,000

• Kiwanis clubs fund approximately $5000• Hospital funds the remaining costs• UWEX provides “manpower” for

maintaining labels, mailing and updating addresses when issues returned

• English and Spanish versions• Currently exploring an electronic option

                                             

RACINE COUNTY EXPERIENCE

East & West Racine County

Racine County UW-Extension Parenting Newsletter

Advisory Team

William McReynolds, Racine County

Executive

2008 -- English distribution

2009 – Spanish distribution

Parenting the First Year Newsletter.mht

Why Electronic Delivery?

• Cost– local partners want to reduce project costs by using e-delivery

• Generational differences in information seeking (Oconto Co. survey)

• Desire to be more “green”• Others have started using e-delivery

-some local hospitals-national eXtension-Racine County

Electronic Delivery

• Monthly emails with a link to the newsletter for their child’s age.

• Free for parents and local project partners

• Local collaborators continue to play an important role - help advertise this resource so parents know about it.

Congratulations! NJ is now 1 month old. Get the Month 1 issue of the Parenting the First Year newsletters:

Download Month 1 Now

For information on understanding baby's temperament, check out the Month 1 Issue of Parenting Your Unique Child

If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter mailing, click here.

Opportunities for County Extension Educators

• If your county does not distribute parenting newsletters:

• Begin free E-delivery of the newsletters– The only cost is your time to advertise the

website to new parents

• Contact Carol Ostergren or Dave Riley if you’d like to talk about starting the project

• costergr@wisc.edu or dariley@wisc.edu

Opportunities for County Extension Educators

• If you already distribute Parenting the First Year:

• Expand to include E-delivery• Expand delivery to Parenting the 2nd &

3rd Years• Expand delivery to Preparing to

Parent• Evaluate to demonstrate your impacts

and create local enthusiasm for the project.

Opportunities for County Extension Educators

• If you are interested in finding out more about the newsletter project

• Check out the project instructions and resources (nuts and bolts assistance) on our website for Parent Educators

• http://fyi.uwex.edu/using-parenting-newsletters/

• Carol & Dave will be happy to talk with you about the project!

Future Technology to Reach Families

• Podcasting

• Face Book

• Twitter

• Texting- text4baby

Questions & Answers

Q & A

Parenting Newsletter Website:http://parenting.uwex.edu