Parenting Together Project (PTP)

Couples that just became first-time parents and could use assistance in developing the father's role in parenthood

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 postpartum.

William J. Doherty
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

• Email: bdoherty@umn.edu
• Phone: (612) 625-4752

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Languages

Parenting Together Project (PTP) has materials available in the following languages other than English:

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed in this page).

Manual Information

There is not a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is no training information available for this program.

Pre-Implementation Materials

There are no pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Parenting Together Project.

Formal Support for Implementation

There is no formal support available for implementation of Parenting Together Project.

Fidelity Measures

There are no fidelity measures for Parenting Together Project.

Established Psychometrics

There are no established psychometrics for Parenting Together Project.

Fidelity Measures Required

No fidelity measures are required for Parenting Together Project.

Implementation Guides or Manuals

There are no implementation guides or manuals for Parenting Together Project.

Implementation Cost

There are no studies of the costs of Parenting Together Project.

Research on How to Implement the Program

Research has not been conducted on how to implement Parenting Together Project.

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being

"What is included in the Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research section?"

• 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. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.20.3.438

  Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial

  Number of participants: 168

  Population:

  • Age — 18–45 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 16% Multiracial, 3% African American and Asian/Pacific Islander, all others 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:

  The purpose of the study was to examine whether a group educational intervention [now called the Parenting Together Project (PTP)] during the transition to parenthood can enhance the quality of father-child interaction and increase father involvement for first-time parents. Participants 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. Measures utilized include Interaction/Accessibility Time Chart, Parent Behavior Rating Scale, and the Parental Responsibility Scale (PRS) at 6 months and 12 months postpartum. Results indicate 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 controlled postintervention follow-up: 7 months after end of intervention (12 months postpartum).