Recent work: Families and Parenting

01. Strategies for Kids, Information for Parents (SKIP) (ongoing)
Since 2011 Annalise Myers has been working with SKIP to support the campaign's reach across Auckland and linking with community influencers interested in creating formal and informal support for parents with young children.  Annalise works closely with the SKIP team and different ethnic communities, local neighborhoods, networks, organisations, businesses and churches.

Annalise's role is to provide mentoring and skill development for professionals working with families and volunteers. She supports organisations to deepen their insights into the needs of parents and to create  innovative, parent-centered solutions.   This approach draws on design principles and evidence underpinning SKIP including encouraging conscious parenting, positive parenting principles and healthy child development.

Find out more about SKIP here
02. The Importance of whanau, family in the lives of young parents (2014)
In New Zealand, there are between 4000-5000 babies born to young mothers under 20 years of age each year. The birth rate for young mothers (aged less than 20) has stayed relatively stable since the mid 1990’s, although in 2012 there was a drop in birth rates across all ages, including young mothers (aged less than 20) which dropped slightly. There is much evidence to suggest that the factors associated with young parenthood (e.g. unplanned pregnancy, low income and inadequate support) can lead to lifelong negative impacts (Ministry of Social Development, 2008).

This research, which was commissioned by Thrive as part of their on-going commitment to developing whānau-centred support services and initiatives, aims to identify the needs of whānau and how whānau support for pregnant teens, young parents and their children can be improved.

Data was collected via focus groups with young parents and whānau and family members of young parents, as well as one-on-one interviews. Three young parents who are part of the Thrive staff took a leadership role in this research.
Download report
03. Mangere East Community Learning Centre (2014)
These impact stories are the first part of a joint project with Ohomairangi Trust and Mangere ACCESS Trust with the support of SKIP and Point Research. Our goal is to enable parents to share their experience of seeking help and exploring the impact of this support on them and their children. SKIP research shows parents are more likely to change their approach to parenting when they have opportunities to learn alongside their other parents and when they have strong trusted relationships. The five impact stories explore each parent’s unique reason for seeking support and what difference it made for them and their children. Thirteen parents were interviewed and other impact stories are in the process of being written and will be shared over the coming months.
Download report
04. Manurewa Parenting Hub (2013)
The Manurewa Parenting Hub provides services that support parents as leaders of their family. The Hub operates across six schools in Manurewa, South Auckland, and offers services such as parenting support, learning support, practical sessions (e.g. cooking), budgeting, and fitness. The Hub also runs a highly successful teacher aide programme, which places parents in paid teacher aide positions in local schools.

Point Research was contracted by the Ministry of Social Development to conduct an evaluation of the Hub concept, which outlines the history and approach of the Hub; examines the impacts and outcomes of parental involvement in the parenting Hub; presents longitudinal data to track the process, change and challenges for parents who have been involved in the Hub and who have gone on to employment as teacher aides and; assists other schools who wish to develop their parenting engagement strategies by sharing the knowledge generated by this research. Part of this research involved a photovoice project with selected parents from the Hub, you can view this using the link below.
05. Parenting Place Toolbox (2013)
The Parenting Place offers Toolbox courses to parents, caregivers and grandparents. These are designed to support parents and caregivers by giving them practical strategies, support and encouragement in six sessions.

Toolbox parenting groups are run in communities throughout New Zealand.

The purpose of this review was to find out from parents and caregivers: whether the topics covered in Toolbox were useful; whether the topics influenced their parenting and caregiving; whether they addressed the issues they had; whether it  provided them with support; whether it gave them the knowledge and strategies they need; and how satisfied they were with the courses, including the organisation of the courses.
06. Plunket impact profiles (2013)
In 2013 The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society conducted an evaluation on how clients experience receiving Well Child services from Plunket Nurses who have completed the family partnership model core training.

Point Research conducted the qualitative component of the evaluation by interviewing five families and compiling a series of impact profiles.
07. Parents as First Teachers
The Parent as First Teachers Programme is an established home visitation programme for parents of 0-3 year olds. The Centre for Social Research and Evaluation (CSRE) at MSD are currently undertook an evaluation of the PAFT programme in 2011 in order to answer these broad questions: How, and how well, does the Parents as First Teachers parenting programme contribute to strong child and family outcomes? For whom? Under what circumstances?

Point Research assisted CSRE with the collection of data across two sites, Awarua/Invercargill and Whangarei.
Download report