Listening to Parent Voices:

What might have seemed impossible before the pandemic, like effectively providing remote and hybrid services, was actually made possible through flexibility and quick responsiveness to the needs of parents. Programs must actively listen to the voices of parents and be open to small or big shifts in practices to reflect those needs.

Both providers and parents voiced the critical need for mental health services. Telehealth proved to be a promising option to increase access to programs and care.

IECMHC — an evidence based model that expands mental health and social, emotional support for families, children, and staff — can provide significant benefits in home visits.

Loosening requirements, especially those related to frequency and duration of visits, as well as allowing remote options, has shown to improve retention of current and new families, increase equity, work well for staff, and improve the quality of services provided.

Hybrid approaches that incorporate what works best from both in-person and telehealth can blend the best of both worlds (e.g., in-person for initial assessments and relationship-building, virtual for some sessions and check-ins with flexible scheduling).

Families’ needs increased dramatically when faced with a crisis. Trusted programs must consider how to expand support to meet basic needs without compromising the time and energy going towards core services. Family stability supports child development and is an important point of entry for many.

Flexibility needs planning and structure in order to work. Parents appreciated the additional pre-visit preparation offered during the pivot to remote services. Increased planning and pre-visit support, regardless of whether services are in-person or remote, can improve parent engagement and service quality.

Pivoting to remote services forced providers to interact less directly with children and more directly with parents, with providers often acting as a coach. Many providers felt it represented an important practice change that may improve service effectiveness overall — even when some services resume face-to-face.

Additional staff support — such as mental health services and flexible scheduling — was a key factor in programs’ ability to provide quality services during the pandemic. Retaining those supports and providing additional training could have long-term benefits for staff retention.

Several programs saw highly successful remote playgroups between parents and children, where some families with busy schedules or limited transportation preferred these remote groups as a way to reduce social isolation and connect with other parents in a convenient format.