Parenting program participation: A mixed methods study of barriers and facilitators in three Australian communities

Evidence-based parenting programs that aim to prevent, reduce, or treat child emotional or behavioral problems can significantly improve child and family psychosocial outcomes, and ultimately benefit society. Despite this, participation (i.e., recruitment and retention of families) in parenting programs is sub-optimal. Many Australian families, including those likely to benefit most (e.g., disadvantaged families at higher risk of child mental health problems), do not enrol in or attend parenting programs. This study utilized a mixed-methods design to investigate participation barriers and facilitators in three Australian communities. Parents and service providers completed online questionnaires (37 parents, 27 providers) and semi-structured interviews (25 parents, 23 providers). Results showed that families often face multiple barriers to participation as indicated by both questionnaires and interviews, that are generally well-recognized by providers. Program scheduling and the need for childminding were commonly endorsed barriers and highly reported in interviews. The main facilitators were positive expectations of program staff and timely information about program costs, again highly endorsed in questionnaires and common themes from interviews. While parents and providers generally agreed on the main barriers and facilitators, notable divergences were observed for the perceived importance of communicating information about program evidence, staff qualifications, and digital delivery (each endorsed more by parents than providers). Overall, findings suggest a need for more flexible program delivery, wider advertising of program availability and stronger promotion of program benefits. A substantive increase in participation is likely to require program-service level implementation of multiple strategies and broader policy level support.