Changes in couple, parenting, and individual functioning following Family Expectations program participation

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Family Studies

Background:

• Parenting and relationship education programs are crucial for new and expectant parents.
• Assessing program effectiveness requires longitudinal data on multiple functioning domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in couple, parenting, and individual functioning after the Family Expectations program.
• To examine the relationship between short-term and long-term outcomes.
• To compare program effects on married versus unmarried couples.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 339 couples participating in the Family Expectations program.
• Data collected at three time points over a 12-month period.
• Analyses focused on short-term changes, prediction of long-term changes, and marital status differences.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in couple, parenting, and individual functioning were observed shortly after program completion.
• Reductions in psychological distress predicted long-term positive changes.
• Marital status showed minimal moderation, with some evidence of stronger effects for married couples.

Conclusions:

• The Family Expectations program demonstrates effectiveness in enhancing functioning for new and expectant parents.
• Early psychological improvements are key indicators of sustained benefits.
• Findings support the value of federally-funded relationship and parenting programs.