Abstract
Summary The central purpose of this evaluation is to determine if and how the Skillful Parenting Program (SPP) effects the parenting of its participants. In addition, it aims to determine how the parenting program was adapted to the West Kenyan setting, and how the specific content and processes of the
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SPP determine the program’s effects and outcome. Integral to this research was to understand the context in which in the program was implemented, and discover how the program both influences, and is influenced by the local ideas and values. The ultimate goal is to understand how the program works and why it has the effects that it has, both in an effort to determine its effectiveness and discern how the program can be up scaled beyond its specific context. The results show that parents become to feel more competent as parents, and report better communication with their spouse and child after having participated with the SPP in West Kenya. The role division between parents has changed, where father and mother now share more in tasks. Parenting is still found to be difficult, but parents say they feel like they are better parents than they were before the training. In addition, parents include more elements and traits into the definition of parenting. These new ideas are not experienced to be conflicting with the parents’ ideas about parenting pre-training, and primarily expand on their earlier definition of parenting. For parents in more extreme situations, such as situations of excessive violence in the family, the program is found to be less effective. It is likely that the connection to local definitions of parenting has made the program relatable and accessible for parents. The participants attribute great value to the discussion of gender roles, which has led to changes for both mothers and fathers. This effect is also closely related to program’s focus on family relations, which teaches parents to communicate differently with their children, and with each other. Parents report that they have changed the manner in which they discipline their children, and say they use techniques such as listening to better understand their children’s needs, which results in improved relationships. Aside from this improvement, parents experience more control over their children as well, allowing parents to be more informed about their children’s lives and making the children easier to direct. By setting up a group based program, which stimulates discussions amongst its participants, parents can engage in the exchange of ideas and practices between each other and the facilitator. Parents are not told what to do, are being respected in regards to their own values, and are presented with ideas and practices that they can implement based on their own preference. This methodology seems to foster ownership and a tendency amongst parents to spread the newly learned knowledge and skills spontaneously among other community members, which has potential to result in a community wide and sustainable change in the domain of family dynamics and parenting. When considering the upscaling of the Skillful parenting program, it can be said that the program is characterized by several distinctive key elements that lend itself for a more general dissemination in de African continent, such as the interactive formats, its inclusive approach as well as the possibility to include notions of parenthood that fit the local context . The program relies on participants’ input as well as on local facilitators to formulate and contextualize the training’s content, inherently strengthening the adaptability of the program itself. The specific adaptations made in this regard may be less applicable within different contexts, as these are relatable to specific (Western) Kenyan issues and concepts related to specific cultural norms and social issues
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