What Parents Say About their Experience of Family Preservation Programmes

Abstract

This paper outlines the findings of a study which asked parents how they experienced participating in family preservation programs (FP) in Melbourne, Australia. The study explored whether participation was influential in changing their perceptions of themselves as parents. It was expected that participation would lead to a stronger sense of self-worth and that this could be harnessed to facilitate change. The study found that parents’ sense of self as a parent was enhanced by participation in FP programs and this led to an increased sense of hopefulness in their capacity to care safely for their children.