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Family Foundations

Topic Areas
Scientific Rating
Child Welfare Relevance
Parent Training Programs that Address Child Abuse and Neglect
2  — Supported by Research Evidence
Low

About This Program

Target Population: Expectant mothers and fathers

Program Overview

Family Foundations is a series of classes delivered before and after birth that focuses on supporting couples having a baby. The classes focus on individual parent adjustment (stress, depression, anxiety) and self-regulation; coparenting cooperation and support; and early parenting sensitivity. Variations of Family Foundations exist for other populations (e.g., low-income teen parents, low-income and lower-education adult parents, military families, and parents with a child recently diagnosed with autism), but have not been reviewed by the CEBC.

Program Goals

The goals of Family Foundations are:

  • Reduced parental stress
  • Reduced parent depression and anxiety
  • Enhanced coparental support and cooperation
  • Reduced coparental conflict and undermining
  • Enhanced parental warmth and sensitivity
  • Reduced harsh and physically aggressive parenting
  • Reduced family violence
  • Enhanced child social-emotion competence and academic adjustment
  • Reduced child internalizing and externalizing

Logic Model

View the Logic Model for Family Foundations.

Essential Components

The essential components of Family Foundations include:

  • Nine parenting classes with 5 of them occurring before the child is born (content can also be presented in 4 lessons as described in program materials) and 4 occurring after birth:
    • Class 1. Building a Family: The facilitators set the foundation of the coparenting team by providing activities and discussions that promote communication, while focusing on the positive parenting strengths of the team.
    • Class 2. Feelings & Conflicts: This class focuses on feelings and emotions, how parents' emotions affect the child, especially conflict, and how parents can avoid and manage conflict.
    • Class 3. Good Sport Teamwork: This class teaches couples to identify behaviors that upset them, how to recognize negative storylines, and how to change those thoughts.
    • Class 4. Working it Out: Throughout the series, couples have practiced communication skills but this class addresses how best to hold difficult conversations.
    • Class 5. Here We Go! This class ends the prenatal series by helping couples both see each other as supportive partners and build each others' confidence as parents.
    • Birth of child
    • Class 6. New Parent Experiences: This class allows parents to discuss the challenges of adjusting to parenthood and recognize the normalcy of their experiences. The class focuses on helping parents recognize their child's temperament and moods.
    • Class 7. Security: This class focuses on attachment and security between parent and child. The issue of problem solving is introduced.
    • Class 8. Problem Solving: This class focuses on dynamics within the parenting team and couple problem-solving.
    • Class 9. Keeping Things Positive: This class reviews how to best encourage security with the child, how couples handle sex and intimacy, and how parents can be supportive by communicating appreciation for their partner.
  • Provide additional support and referrals as needed

Program Delivery

Parent/Caregiver Services

Family Foundations directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

  • Couple pregnant with a due date about 4 weeks away with potential coparenting difficulties and stress

Recommended Intensity:

2-hour weekly classes

Recommended Duration:

8-9 weeks: 4-5 weeks before birth and 4 weeks after birth

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

  • Hospital
  • Outpatient Clinic
  • Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
  • Virtual (Online, Telephone, Video, Zoom, etc.)

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

In-person:

  • Room with flip charts/white board and A/V equipment to display video clips

Remote:

  • Online platform

Manuals and Training

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

College education is recommended along with experience in leading groups and working with families.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Program Manual(s)

Manual information:

  • Feinberg, M. E. (2021). Family Foundations manual. Family Gold.

Can access through the program contact.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact:
Training Type/Location:

Provided onsite or remote

Number of days/hours:

Training requires total of 2-3 days

Implementation Information

Pre-Implementation Materials

There are no pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Family Foundations.

Formal Support for Implementation

There is formal support available for implementation of Family Foundations as listed below:

Formal support is optional, via in-person, phone, or teleconferencing as appropriate. Support can focus on any and all implementation aspects depending on implementation organization needs.

Fidelity Measures

There are fidelity measures for Family Foundations as listed below:

Checklists are available for observers. Training is available.

Implementation Guides or Manuals

There are no implementation guides or manuals for Family Foundations.

Implementation Cost

There have been studies of the costs of implementing Family Foundations which are listed below:

Jones, D. E., Feinberg, M. E., & Hostetler, M. (2014). Costs to implement an effective transition-to-parenthood program for couples: Analysis of the Family Foundations program. Evaluation and Program Planning, 44, 59–67. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2014.02.001

Research on How to Implement the Program

Research has not been conducted on how to implement Family Foundations.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being

Feinberg, M. E., & Kan, M. L. (2008). Establishing Family Foundations: Intervention effects on coparenting, parent/infant well-being, and parent-child relations. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(2), 253–263. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.22.2.253

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 169

Population:

  • Age — 28–29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 90% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Foundations (FF) program on coparenting; parental depression and anxiety; distress in the parent–infant relationship; and infant regulatory competence (sleep, attention duration, soothability). Participants were randomly assigned to FF (intervention) or to no-treatment control conditions. Measures utilized include the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Parental Stress Index, Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and Relationships Scale Questionnaire. Results indicate that FF participants displayed significant improvement on coparental support, maternal depression and anxiety, distress in the parent-child relationship, and several indicators of infant regulation. Effects from FF were not moderated by income, but greater positive impact of the program was found for lower educated parents and for families with a father who reported higher levels of insecure attachment in close relationships. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, lack of generalizability due to ethnicity, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Feinberg, M. E., Kan, M. L., & Goslin, M. C. (2009). Enhancing coparenting, parenting, and child self-regulation: Effects of Family Foundations 1 year after birth. Prevention Science, 10(3), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0130-4

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 169

Population:

  • Age — 28–29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 90% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to assess the outcomes of Family Foundations (FF) when infants were 1 year old. Participants were randomly assigned to FF (intervention) or to no-treatment control conditions. Measures utilized include the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Parental Stress Index, Infant Behavior Questionnaire and Relationships Scale Questionnaire. Results indicate that significant program effects at follow-up emerged in all four domains in the FF group. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, lack of generalizability due to ethnicity, and intervention effects on maternal depression or on dyadic couple relationship quality may have led to enhanced coparenting.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Approximately 6 months.

Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Kan, M. L., & Goslin, M. C. (2010). Effects of family foundations on parents and children: 3.5 years after baseline. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(5), 532–542. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020837

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 169

Population:

  • Age — 28–29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 90% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to assess the outcomes of Family Foundations (FF) when children were 3 years old. Participants were randomly assigned to FF or to no-treatment control conditions. Measures utilized include the Parenting Sense of Competence, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Parenting Scale, and The Coparenting Relationship Scale. Results indicate that all families in the FF group experienced significant program effects on parental stress and self-efficacy, coparenting, harsh parenting, and children’s emotional adjustment. Cohabiting couples in the FF group experienced significant program effects on maternal depression. Among families of boys in the FF group, program effects were found for child behavior problems and couple relationship quality. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures and lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and educational level.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6, 12, and 36 months.

Kan, M. L., & Feinberg, M. E., & Solmeyer, A. R. (2012). Intimate partner violence and coparenting across the transition to parenthood. Journal of Family Issues, 33(2), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X11412037

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 156

Population:

  • Age — 28–29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to examine violence prior to the birth of a first child as a predictor of coparenting quality when children reached 1 year of age in a community sample of first-time parents utilizing the Family Foundations (FF) program. Participants were randomly assigned to FF or a control condition. Measures utilized include the Revised Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), and The Coparenting Relationship Scale. Results indicate that FF participation was associated with self-reported and observed improvements in parent mental health, coparenting, and parenting as a function of the intervention. Couple relationship quality and parent mental health problems accounted for the links between prenatal interpersonal violence and coparenting issues. Limitations include lack of generalizability due to ethnicity, self-reported measures, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Kan, M. L., & Feinberg, M. E. (2014). Can a family-focused, transition-to-parenthood program prevent parent and partner aggression among couples with young children? Violence and Victims, 29(6), 967–980. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-12-00162

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 169

Population:

  • Age — Parents: 28–29 years; Children: Mean=36.82 months
  • Race/Ethnicity — Parents: 90% Non-Hispanic White; Children: Not specified
  • Gender — Parents: 50% Female and 50% Male; Children 56% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to examine moderated effects of the Family Foundations (FF) program for couples on partner psychological aggression and parent-child physical aggression when the child was 3 years old. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or to no-treatment control conditions. Measures utilized include the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) and the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales. Results indicate that significant program effects reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers; reduced parent-child physical aggression by mothers for couples with frequent preprogram partner psychological aggression; and reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers for couples with severe preprogram partner physical aggression. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, lack of generalizability to community samples, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Roettger, M. E., Solmeyer, A., & Hostetler, M. L. (2014). Long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of family foundations: Effects on children's emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(6), 821–831. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000037

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 98

Population:

  • Age — 28-29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 90% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used a subset of the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Foundations (FF) program on internalizing and externalizing problems and school adjustment. Participants were randomly assigned to FF or to no-treatment control conditions. Measures utilized include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results indicate that teachers reported significantly lower levels of internalizing problems among children in the FF group compared with children in the control group. Also, consistent with prior findings at 3 years of age, lower levels of externalizing problems for boys in the FF group. Limitations include high attrition rate, reliance on self-reported measures, and lack of generalizability due to ethnicity.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Approximately 5-7 years.

Solmeyer, A. R., Feinberg, M. E., Coffman, D. L., & Jones, D. E. (2014). The effects of the Family Foundations prevention program on coparenting and child adjustment: A mediation analysis. Prevention Science, 15(2), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-013-0366-x

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 167

Population:

  • Age — 28-29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to test coparenting competition and positivity as potential mediators (influencers) of the impact of Family Foundations (FF) on child adjustment problems 3.5 years after baseline, and explore child gender as a moderator (cause) of the mediated effects. Participants were randomly assigned to FF or a control condition. Measures utilized include Parenting Sense of Competence, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Parenting Scale and The Coparenting Relationship Scale. Results indicate that FF participation was associated with significant mediated (influenced) effects for coparenting competition for fathers with both sons and daughters and for mothers with sons, but not for mothers with daughters. Coparenting positivity did not mediate (influence) program effects. Limitations include lack of generalizability due to ethnicity, not able to pinpoint exactly which parts of the intervention were effective, and reliance on self-reported measures.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: Approximately 3 years.

Kan, M. L., & Feinberg, M. E. (2015). Impacts of a coparenting-focused intervention on links between pre-birth intimate partner violence and observed parenting. Journal of Family Violence, 30(3), 363–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9678-x

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 167

Population:

  • Age — 28-29 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: Pennsylvania–Altoona and Harrisburg

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to examine Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prior to the birth of a first child as a predictor of observed parenting when the child was one-year old utilizing the Family Foundations (FF) program. Participants were randomly assigned to FF or a control condition. Data was collected during prenatal home interview (Time 1), through mailed questionnaires 4 to 8 months after the birth of the baby (Time 2), and during another home interview approximately 13 months after the birth of the baby (Time 3). Measures utilized include the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) and The Coparenting Relationship Scale. Results indicate that links between mother and father violence and parenting was significant; however, this was only for participants in the control group. Coparenting did not significantly mediate associations between IPV and parenting among control group couples. Limitations include lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and limited by a past-year measure of IPV that was assessed prenatally.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3–7 months and 12 months.

Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D., Roettger, M., Hostetler, M., Sakuma, K., Paul, I., & Ethrenthal, D. (2016). Preventive effects on birth outcomes: Buffering impact of maternal stress, depression, & anxiety. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20(1), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1801-3

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 259

Population:

  • Age — Mean=28.4 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 85% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: 1 Southwestern and 3 Mid-Atlantic states in the US

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same population as Feinberg & Kan (2008). The purpose of the study was to assess the outcomes of Family Foundations (FF) when children were 3 years old. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions after pretest data collection using a randomized block design. Measures utilized include Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and demographic information. Results indicate that FF buffered the negative impact of maternal mental health problems on birth weight and both mother and infant length of postpartum hospital stay. For birth weight, assignment to FF was associated with higher birth weight for infants born before term. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures and lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and educational level.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6, 12, and 36 months.

Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D., Hostetler, M., Roettger, M., Paul, I., & Ehrenthal, D. (2016). Couple-focused prevention at the transition to parenthood, a randomized trial: Effects on coparenting, parenting, family violence, and parent and child adjustment. Prevention Science, 17(6), 751–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-016-0674-z

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 399

Population:

  • Age — 29-31 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — 85% Non-Hispanic White
  • Gender — 50% Female and 50% Male
  • Status — Participants were couples expecting their first child.

Location/Institution: 1 Southern and 3 Mid-Atlantic states in the US

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to test the short-term efficacy of Family Foundations (FF). Participants were randomly assigned to FF or control conditions after pretest. FF couples received a manualized 9-session (5 prenatal and 4 postnatal classes) psychoeducational program delivered in small groups. Measures utilized include the Coparenting Relationship Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Infant Behavior Questionnaire, Child Sleep Questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale, and the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale. Results indicate that there were significant positive impacts across all domains of outcomes examined: parent mental health and adjustment, coparenting and couple relations, parenting quality, family violence, and early indicators of child self-regulation (soothability, attention, sleep). Results also indicate that the relatively well-educated and high-functioning nature of the sample may have reduced the potential for finding overall preventive intervention impact. Limitations include reliability of self-reported measures, lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and educational level, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Additional References

Feinberg, M. E. (2002). Coparenting and the transition to parenthood: A framework for prevention. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 5, 173-195. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019695015110

Feinberg, M. E. (2003). The internal structure and ecological context of coparenting: A framework for research and intervention. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3(3), 95-131.

Contact Information

Mark Feinberg
Agency/Affiliation: Family Gold
Website: www.famfound.net
Email:

Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: May 2022

Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: May 2021

Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: April 2017