Dublin parenting programme credited with major health and education benefits

A parenting programme in Dublin has delivered major education and health benefits for children, a study has suggested.

The research assessed the impact of Preparing For Life – a flagship plan produced by Northside Partnership, a development company working in Darndale in north-east Dublin.

The study indicates that a decade after children’s involvement in the home-visiting programme ended, they were 29% more likely to want to pursue third-level education compared to peers who did not receive the visits.

The evaluation found that many of the children were shown to have better problem-solving skills, were less likely to experience attention problems and enjoy improved family relationships and physical health.

The children, now aged 14, were included in Preparing For Life from their mother’s pregnancy until school age.

The evaluation of the scheme by academics at UCD has been described as one of the longest-running randomised control trials in Europe.

The early intervention Preparing For Life plan includes bi-weekly home visits, parenting guidance on issues such as antenatal education and breastfeeding, as well as preparing children for school. It was first rolled out in Darndale in 2007.

Professor Orla Doyle from UCD’s Geary Institute, which carried out the evaluation, outlined the findings.

“The fact that cognitive gains seen at school entry have persisted into adolescence, nearly 10 years after programme participation ended, suggests it may have caused a fundamental shift in children’s developmental trajectories,” she said.

The study found improvements were consistent across verbal, non-verbal and spatial domains, with Preparing For Life credited with having a significant positive impact on working memory, with fewer attention-related difficulties, supporting classroom engagement.

The programme’s manager, Niall Sexton of Northside Partnership, said: “This evaluation confirms what families have told us for years, that the impact is long-lasting and meaningful.

“It is about giving families a fairer start, recognising the strengths they already have, and working alongside them to unlock children’s potential.”

Backed by the child and family agency Tusla, Preparing For Life is now available in 10 other communities around Ireland: Bagenalstown in Co Carlow; Ballaghaderreen in Co Roscommon; Ballinasloe in Co Galway; Bray in Co Wicklow; Castlebar in Co Mayo; Kilrush in Co Clare; Newbridge in Co Kildare; and Tallaght, Balbriggan and Finglas in Dublin.