Impact of Risk and Resilience on Engagement in a Mandated Parenting Program

Parenting intervention programs are an increasingly common requirement of case plans for parents involved in the child welfare system as they reduce the risk of future child maltreatment. However, there are challenges with retention and parental engagement in such programs, and many parents dropping out prematurely. Research has explored factors associated with parents' retention and barriers to engagement, but study samples do not often include parents who are mandated to attend such programs. Furthermore, very little research has examined the process of change with parents who do engage in parenting interventions. Therefore, there is a need to examine parental factors surrounding their engagement in a mandated program, as well as their process of change. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of risk and resilience factors associated with engagement, and parents' change processes described in their own words. To accomplish this, the current study included analysis of existing qualitative data collected from pre and post-intervention interviews with 15 parents involved in a mandated parenting intervention. Using a thematic analysis approach, three core themes of risk and resilience factors were identified: (1) Motivation, (2) Support, and (3) Perspective. Findings also illuminated parents' process of change in three stages: (1) Stage 1- Pre-intervention change: Initial signs of change, (2) Stage 2- Intervention change: Learning process, and (3) Stage 3- Post-intervention change: Developed insight and awareness. Parents' process of change included experiences of barriers to change. Results describe how parents' risk and resilience factors of motivation, support, and perspective included dimensions of family, the group, and the child welfare system, and these systems encouraged and challenged parents throughout the mandated parenting intervention. Results of this study provide additional insights for future intervention research to consider including how parents experience varied stages of progression of change throughout engagement in a parenting intervention and the dual nature of both risk and resilience factors.