Developing parent support services in a non-governmental organisation

Abstract

Background and goals: In the past decades, several forms of parent support have emerged in Hungary, ranging from personal, individual counselling to various parent clubs and online, group parent training. The study presents the development of parent support services by an civil organisation, its process and results. The aim of the research was to develop an innovative, modern service system based on the expectations and needs of the people who use it.

Method: Between March and September 2023, we launched a series of parent support services through a participatory action research project, during which we developed a package of programmes in successive phases, based on the needs and continuous feedback of parents and the experience of the professional team.

Results: The parent support programmes conducted in the course of the action research were unanimously considered successful by the participants - parents and professionals, and the identification of parents' needs and the knowledge of their experiences had a positive impact on the organisation's service planning and development.

Conclusions: By coordinating the needs and expectations of the stakeholders, parents and professionals working with children involved in the action research more targeted and informed service design can be achieved, but sustainability poses further challenges for the organisation.