Project management: Prof. Dr. Heike Herrmann
Funded by: AktionMensch
Duration: Dec. 2008 to Dec. 2011
Cooperation partner: Albatros e. V., Freier Träger der Jugend- u. Familienhilfe Lüneburg

Project description:
The goals of the scientific support and process evaluation of the model project "Parent Coaching" are

1. the reflection and development of the concept and
2. the development of the "coaching" method in the special form used here.

The scientific monitoring is intended to contribute to a further development of the content and methods of the education of parents and the previous forms of family support as well as to a linking of the two fields of work.

The methods of evaluation are expert interviews with the implementing professionals, the analysis and further development of documentation (e.g. minutes of group sessions and individual coaching) as well as non-participatory observation of group sessions. Data will be collected in the form of statements and texts. The embedding of the statements in the situational context is taken into account and backgrounds of the statements are determined. In addition, regular counselling interviews are conducted with the implementing professionals, which intervene selectively and reflexively in the implementation of the model concept and support the further development of the project. The evaluation is oriented towards the model project, i.e. the goals and methods are based on the goals and procedures of the project (case orientation). Misinterpretations are avoided through process-accompanying reflection. The evaluation takes place "face-to-face", i.e. as a communicative process.

Thesubject matter:
Parent coaching is a method that responds to the problem of increasing excessive demands on parents in difficult situations by combining conventional parent training courses with approaches from social-pedagogical family support. The offer is open and unique in this form and manner.

The parent coaching is aimed at parents who have difficulties in parenting, whose behaviour has become stuck and who need new impulses and strengthening for their parenting task. During the group sessions, childcare is offered to enable working parents to participate and to establish contact with the children at the same time. The overall aim of parent coaching is to offer participants a learning environment in which they can reflect on their own parenting behaviour and learn alternative ways of behaving.

Methods of working with groups and individual coaching are combined with classical methods of family support. The process of knowledge transfer and changed behaviour is accompanied by individual coaching. In addition, individual coaching serves to deal with more specific problems within the family. Individual coaching is aimed at all parenting staff involved and, in contrast to group work, is carried out within the family.

The parent coaching ends for the participants at the time when all participants come to the conclusion that no further support in this form is necessary. A goal review takes place at six-monthly intervals.