Parenting Research Centre | Evaluation of PlaySteps

Evaluation of PlaySteps

How effective is the Queen Elizabeth Centre PlaySteps program in improving parent–child interactions and increasing parental confidence?

PlaySteps is an eight-week parenting program created by the Queen Elizabeth Centre, an early parenting centre in Melbourne. The program is attended by parents and their children and is designed to improve parent–child relationships and interaction. The first evaluation, conducted between 2007-2010, measured the effectiveness of the program in improving interaction between parents and their children and increasing parents’ confidence in their role. It also examined the extent to which the program helped enhance parents’ social and community support networks and the impact on their general sense of wellbeing. This included levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

As the evaluation proved favourable, approval was given in 2011 by the Victorian Government Department of Human Services Mental Health, Drugs and Regions Branch for the delivery and evaluation of the program to be conducted in all three Victorian early parenting centres: Mercy Health O’Connell Family Centre; Queen Elizabeth Centre and Tweddle Child and Family Health Service.

This further evaluation will measure independent assessments of parent–child interactions using NCAST teaching scales and a range of parental self-report measures. Data will be collected at three time points over 2011:

Time 1 - Pre intervention assessment (week 1)
Time 2 - Post intervention assessment (week 10)
Time 3 - Follow up (week 22, approximately 3 months after the conclusion of the program)

The intervention program is now underway in all three parenting centres.