An adoptive mother has blogged about her family's experience of taking part in a trial Skype version of PAC's Enhancing Adoptive Parenting (EAP) programme.
EAP is a ten-week programme designed to be delivered in the homes of adoptive parents of recently placed children between the ages of 3 years and 8 years who exhibit challenging behaviour.
Over a five month period, PAC has trialled the delivery of the EAP programme via Skype. Three volunteer sets of adopters were chosen to take part in the trial, including "Sezz", the author of the blog Dear Daughter: Our Adoption Journey.
Sezz writes:
"The beauty of participating via Skype for us was that we didn't have to travel, we didn't have to find childcare, we didn't have to tidy the house up first, we got Missy to bed, had a quick tea and then settled at our dining room table with the iPad in front of us. No travel time was wasted by our trainer either (which saves money for PAC).
At the end of the programme, Sezz summarised:
"In conclusion, the 10 weeks have been brilliant! The positive changes are very noticeable, one big one being the relationship between Missy and Daddy which is fantastic. Daddy and I both feel much calmer and are no longer walking on eggshells. Missy responds to us much better and seems a lot less anxious about certain things. It's certainly work in progress but what it means is that when it's all going pants up, Daddy and I have the strategies to help Missy work through her anger and frustration whilst we keep as calm as possible. The things we've learnt don't always work and that's why it's great to have a toolbox of strategies.
I'm so glad it's been trialled over Skype because I'm not sure we could have committed to 10 weeks if we had to travel somewhere. This is an even greater factor for adopters who don't live within easy reach of London but who desperately need the support. Equally for our trainer, travel delays would have impacted on all of us. I hope PAC can continue to offer the Skype programme.
I am beyond grateful for PAC choosing to work with us on this programme and I highly recommend this course to any adopters."
PAC's trial delivery of the Enhancing Adoptive Parenting programme via Skype indicates that this is a very useful method of providing adoption support in the home, with many advantages for both adoptive parents and the agency providing the support. Parents like the home-based element and being able to give their undivided attention to the material, while not feeling obliged to tidy up and provide sustenance for the parent adviser delivering the EAP programme. The elimination of travel time and costs offer clear benefits for agencies.
For further details of PAC's Enhancing Adoptive Parenting programme, in either its home-based or Skype formats, please contact us.
This article on PAC’s home-based EAP programme was published in Adoption Today in December 2013.
The parent writes: "The training itself took place one evening a week for 90 minutes via Skype. Our trainer was Virginia, a very experienced child care worker of 40 years. The beauty of participating via Skype for us was that we didn't have to travel, we didn't have to find childcare, we didn't have to tidy the house up first, we got Missy to bed, had a quick tea and then settled at our dining room table with the iPad in front of us. No travel time was wasted by our trainer either (which saves money for PAC)."
By the end of week five, she writes: "we were beginning to see some positive changes. Virginia was helping us consider why Missy acts out the way she does. Based on her experience working with children, she offered possibilities around the meaning of certain emotions and behaviours. Did this experience (or lack of) in the past now show itself in her current behaviour? Our understanding of how Missy's past may be affecting her now has massively increased."
"In conclusion, the 10 weeks have been brilliant! The positive changes are very noticeable, one big one being the relationship between Missy and Daddy which is fantastic. Daddy and I both feel much calmer and are no longer walking on eggshells. Missy responds to us much better and seems a lot less anxious about certain things. It's certainly work in progress but what it means is that when it's all going pants up, Daddy and I have the strategies to help Missy work through her anger and frustration whilst we keep as calm as possible. The things we've learnt don't always work and that's why it's great to have a toolbox of strategies."
I'm so glad it's been trialled over Skype because I'm not sure we could have committed to 10 weeks if we had to travel somewhere. This is an even greater factor for adopters who don't live within easy reach of London but who desperately need the support. Equally for our trainer, travel delays would have impacted on all of us. I hope PAC can continue to offer the Skype programme.
I am beyond grateful for PAC choosing to work with us on this programme and I highly recommend this course to any adopters.
If you think this programme might be for you then give PAC a call and speak to your LA/adoption agency about possible funding.
While there were no statistically significant findings can be reported due to the small sample size, results of the trial were positive and signpost a method of delivery for adoption support parenting programmes which suit adoptive parents’ needs and eliminate travel costs and travel time for Parent Advisers. This trial indicates that there may be efficacy in this method of delivery subject to further evidence.
