Strengthening Child Rearing in Wood County: Evaluation of Parenting the First Year Instructional Newsletter Series By Elizabeth Zentner UW-Extension

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Strengthening Child Rearing in Wood County
Evaluation of Parenting the First Year
Instructional Newsletter Series By Elizabeth
ZentnerUW-Extension
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What is Parenting the First Year?

• 12 Issue Set of Parenting Newsletters
• Available Monthly to Parents During Their
  Infants First Year of Life
• Matched to Infants Age

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Why a Parenting the First Year Newsletter Series?

• Early Experience Has Big Impact on Child
  Development
• Parents Establish Patterns of Child Rearing Early
  On
• Lack of Knowledge About Children Can Lead to
  Incompetent Parenting

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Advantages of Newsletters

• Age-Paced to Reach Parents at a Teachable
  Moment
• Reaches Socially Isolated Families
• Can Be Shared With Others
• Low Cost
• Available in Spanish
• Easy to Read and Understand (Written at 5th Grade
  Reading Level)

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Developed by University of Wisconsin-Extension
for Two Goals

• To Promote Competent Parenting
• To Prevent Abusive Parenting

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Are the Newsletters Effective? The Evaluation
Study

• Sample Size 104 Families
• Response Rate to Questionnaire Survey 69
• Most Respondents Were Mothers (97)
• Only 5 Were Single Parents
• Just Over Half (52) Were First Time Parents

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4 of Respondents Were Teenagers
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Less Than Half Had a College Degree
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About 14 Had Family Incomes in the Poverty Range
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Did Parents Read the News-letters? They Say
Yes!

• 77 Said They Read All Articles in All Issues
• 51 Save the Newsletters as a Reference

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Readership More than Doubled By Sharing
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Examples of What Parents Said

• I truly enjoy your newsletter. My husband and I
  read it together every time it comes in the mail.
  This is our 1st child and everything with info
  helps. Thank you !
• I think your newsletter is very interesting. I
  look forward to reading them each month and pass
  on the information I learned to friends
  relatives.

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Parents Rate the Newsletters Very Useful for
Advice More Often Than Any Other Source.
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Parents Commented On Their Usefulness

• I really enjoy the newsletter that I receive.
  Its opened my mind up to what my baby is
  thinking. I understand more about the growing
  process.
• Thank you very much for the newsletters. I
  always looked forward to receiving them. They
  answered many questions.

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Over Half of New Parents Rated the Newsletters
Much More Useful than Information Received from
the Hospital
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Parents Like the Age-Pacing of the Newsletters

• I enjoy getting reading the newsletter because
  it comes age related. When my child is 9-10 mos,
  I get a newsletter with info regarding that age.
  It has been very helpful. THANK YOU!
• I like the newsletter because it is specific to
  the age of my child (month-by-month). I am happy
  to receive it. Thank you!

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Parents Believe That Reading the Newsletters Has
Improved Their Parenting.

• Example
• The newsletter always talked about or reminded
  you about things you forgot to ask your doctor or
  felt that you couldnt ask (too rushed). Great
  safety reminders, ways to stimulate or interact
  with your baby, reinforcement, etc. My 2nd was
  colicky and your newsletter heightened my
  patience.

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Parents Report Changing Child-Rearing Behaviors
in 5 Key Areas
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Which Parents Need Child Rearing Information Most?

• Parents Who Experience One or More Socio-economic
  Stressors
• Low income
• Low education
• Teenage parents
• Single parents
• Socially isolated

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Risk Group Parents Reported Greater Change in
Parenting Than Non Risk Parents.
In particular, risk-group parents (defined as
those with socio-economic stressors) were 7 more
likely to say that reading the newsletter caused
them to smile, kiss and hug their babies more
often.
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Reading the newsletters caused me to...
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First-Time Parents Also Liked the Newsletter

• I find the newsletter very informational look
  forward to it coming. This is my 1st child. There
  is a lot of things that I never thought of, so it
  is hard to ask about them.
• We are first time parents and find the
  newsletter very informative.

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Other UW-Extension Research Showed

• Parents Who Received Parenting the First Year
• (compared to those who did not receive it)
• were significantly less likely to think it
  necessary to slap or spank children to get them
  to mind.
• reported actually hitting their children less
  often.

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Summary of Evaluation Results

• Parents Really Read the Newsletters.
• Parents Share the Newsletters With Others.
• Parents Rate the Newsletters Highly Useful.
• Parents Report Positive Changes in Five Key
  Parenting Behaviors.
• Risk Group Parents Reported Learning the Most.

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Recommendation Continue Distribution of The
Newsletter Series.

• Based on Survey Results
• Based on Parents Comments

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Summary Comments From Wood County Parents

• I really enjoy Parenting the First Year. Hope
  you have a 2nd year too. Parents of toddlers need
  encouragement support too. Keep publishing.
• I hope you can continue these newsletters for
  parents for years to come. Wonderful useful
  info for parents! Wonderful set-up easy to
  understand.
• Is there a newsletter for parenting the second
  year? Id love to continue receiving these!!

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Acknowledgment of Project Partners

• Wisconsin Rapids Kiwanis
• Marshfield Kiwanis
• Wood County Health Department
• Riverview Hospital
• St. Josephs Hospital
• UW-Extension Support Staff (Valerie Patterson
  Darlene Back)

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Co-Authors of Evaluation Study

• Dr. Dave Riley,
• UW-Madison/Extension
• Carol Ostergren,
• UW-Madison

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And of course,We thank the families who
thoughtfully answered our survey.
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Copies of the written report are available from
the Wood County Extension Office.
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