Parenting Together Project (PTP)
Note: The PTP program was not responsive to the CEBC's inquiry. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources.
Brief Description
The Parenting Together Project (PTP) program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Father Involvement Interventions.
- Types of Maltreatment: Does not target any specific kind of maltreatment
- Target Population: Not Specified
PTP is an educational intervention for first-time parents that focuses on the development of fathers’ knowledge, skills, and commitment to the fatherhood role. The programs goals are to increase mothers’ support and expectations for the fathers’ involvement; to foster co-parental teamwork in the couple; and to have the couple deal more constructively with contextual factors such as work and cultural expectations. The intervention consists of eight 2-hour sessions that are spread out between the second trimester of pregnancy and five months post-partum.
Education and Training Resources
Publicly available information indicates there is
a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is some training available for this program.
See contact info below.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
This program is rated a "2 - Supported by Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one rigorous randomized controlled trial with a sustained effect of at least 6 months. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.
Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being
Doherty, W. J., Erickson, M. F., & LaRossa, R. (2006). An intervention to increase father involvement and skills with infants during the transition to parenthood, Journal of Family Psychology, 20(3), 438-447.
Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 168
Population:
- Age range — 18-45
- Race/Ethnicity — 16% Multiracial, 3% African American and Asian/Pacific Islander, all else not specified.
- Gender — 50% Male and 50% Female
- Status — Participants were couples recruited from a local health maintenance organization who were from a low-risk community sample.
Location / Institution: University of Minnesota
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The study examined whether a group educational intervention during the transition to parenthood can enhance the quality of father–child interaction and increase father involvement for first-time parents. Couples were randomly assigned to either an 8-session treatment (beginning during the second trimester of pregnancy and ending at 5 months postpartum) or to a control group. Outcomes were assessed with time diaries, using the Interaction/Accessibility Time Chart, coded observations of parent–child play, using the Parent Behavior Rating Scale. and self-reports, using the Parental Responsibility Scale (PRS) at 6 months and 12 months postpartum. Results indicated that the intervention had positive effects on fathers’ skills in interacting with their babies and their involvement on work days, but not home days. Limitations included difficulty with attrition and generalizability to child welfare populations due to low-risk sample characteristics.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 7 months after end of intervention (12 months postpartum).
References
No reference materials are currently available for Parenting Together Project (PTP).
Contact Information
- Name: William J. Doherty, PhD
- Agency/Affiliation: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Email: bdoherty@umn.edu
- Phone: (612) 625-4752 or (612) 625-4227
Date Reviewed: August 2011