Little ACF - A universal parental support program
By supporting and empowering parents, children's health and development can be improved. A Swedish parenting support program aimed at all parents of children aged 3 to 12 years is ACF (All Children in Focus). The program has shown positive effects on parenting skills and children's well-being. Now, a tailored version has been developed for parents of younger children aged 1 to 2 years - Little ACF.
Little ACF focuses on strengthening parents' confidence in their parenting abilities and promoting children’s social and emotional development by supporting emotional regulation and faithful relationships. Little ACF consists of four sessions with different themes, where parents participate in group discussions, role-playing, and exercises, and are given activities to work on at home. Children are welcome to join the sessions.
To examine how Little ACF affects both parents and children, Karolinska Institutet—together with Region Stockholm, municipalities, civil society, and the County Administrative Board—conducted a large randomized controlled trial. Parents in the study were recruited through their regular visits to the child health center (BVC). The group sessions were led by two trained facilitators—one from the BVC and one from either the municipality or civil society. The facilitators received 2.5 days of training and regular supervision.
The project examines
- Parents’ confidence in their own parenting abilities
- Parents’ emotional regulation and coping strategies
- Parental stress
- Cooperation between parents
- Children’s social and emotional development
Status of the project
Recrutiment of over 800 parents ended in May 2024. Currently, the data is being compiled, and reports and scientific articles are being written.
Ethics and funding
The study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and is funded by the Swedish Research Council.