Impact Evaluation of Family Expectations: A Program to Strengthen the Relationships of Disadvantaged Expectant Couples

Family Expectations: Impact Evaluation of Program for Expectant Couples

This study investigates the effectiveness of a program to strengthen the relationships of disadvantaged expectant couples, and to increase co-parenting, father involvement, and economic stability. Couples are randomly assigned to Family Expectations or a control group, and assessed at baseline and one year.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Parenting; Family Relations; Committed Couple Expecting a Child
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Family Expectations

Detailed Description

The birth of a child can trigger relationship distress and dissolution. Family Expectations (FE) targets the transition to parenthood as a critical time to help couples focus on family success. Regardless of whether couples are married or unmarried, the goal of FE is to strengthen relationships and advance the well-being of economically disadvantaged couples who are expecting a baby or who are new parents, and to improve the lives of their children. The FE program, including the Becoming Parents (BP) curriculum and supplemental services, is designed to address specific risk factors that affect individual family members and the relationships among them, and to build protective factors that help families avoid, minimize, or manage risks (e.g., individual maladaptation [mother, father, child], couple relationship difficulties, parenting difficulties, and economic insufficiency).

A total of 1,355 couples will be randomly assigned to either Family Expectations (n = 813; 60%) or an untreated control group (n = 542; 40%). Once assigned, participants in the study will complete baseline questions by survey. Those assigned to the FE track will be scheduled for services with the FE intervention team and the control group will not receive the FE intervention. Members of the intervention and control groups will be surveyed both before they are randomly assigned and 12 months later. The study will examine if the Family Expectations program is associated with improved outcomes on relationship quality, stability, parenting quality, father involvement, child wellbeing, and hopefulness about employment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 2640
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oklahoma
    • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73104
      • Public Strategies

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 100 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Both partners are willing to participate
2. Partners have a commitment to be together as a couple
3. Both partners are the biological parents of a child in a current pregnancy or of a child born within the past 3 months
4. Fluent in English (study and intervention materials are in English)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Either or both partners have taken part in Family Expectations services before

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention: Family Expectations; Family Expectations includes 36 hours of relationship education and parenting content, coaching sessions for couples, and group case management/referral information about local resources. Each couple will also complete an initial case management assessment, followed by referrals to any needed services, such as employment, substance abuse, mental health, housing, etc. Based on need, couples will have the option of additional case management/coaching services during their involvement in Family Expectations.	Behavioral: Family Expectations; Relationship education and referral services for expectant couples.
No Intervention: Control Group; The control group will not receive the intervention though they are able to seek and obtain any services they wish in the community (Treatment as Usual).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Relationship adjustment	This outcome will be measured by a composite of measures to relationship quality (support and affection, global relationship satisfaction, and confidence in the future of the relationship). Respondents will self-report using survey methods.	Baseline and 1 year post baseline (to assess change over time). Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points.
Relationship stability	Couple remains romantically involved. Self-reported by survey methods.	1 year post baseline
Individual wellbeing	Symptoms of depression and anxiety. Respondents will self-report using survey methods.	Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points.
Co-parenting quality	The quality of the co-parenting relationship between the expectant partners will be self-reported using survey methods.	1 year post baseline.
Child outcomes	Infant temperament and wellbeing will be assessed by parent self-report using survey methods.	1 year post baseline.
Interaction quality	This outcome will be measured by a composite of measures that assess communication and conflict management abilities (communication skills, constructive conflict management, destructive conflict management). Respondents will self-report using survey methods.	Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in Income	Income will be measured by self-report using survey methods.	Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Public Strategies
• Collaborators: Children's Bureau - Administration for Children and Families; University of Denver
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Galena K Rhoades, Ph.D., University of Denver

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): February 23, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 16, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 14, 2020
• Last Verified: September 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Expectant parents; Relationship education
• Other Study ID Numbers: 860135

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No