A landmark study has revealed how a parenting programme designed to help families has delivered major educational and health benefits for children.
‘Preparing for Life’ is a flagship plan produced by Northside Partnership, a development company working to improve the lives of people in north-east Dublin.
A new evaluation of its effectiveness has shown that a decade after children’s involvement ended, they are 29% more likely to want to pursue third-level education compared to peers who did not receive the home-visiting programme.
Many of them were also shown to have better problem solving skills, are less likely to experience attention problems and enjoy improved family relationships and physical health.
The children, now aged 14, were included in Preparing for Life from their mothers’ pregnancy until school age. The evaluation is one of the longest running randomised control trials in Europe.
The early intervention model includes bi-weekly home visits, parenting guidance such as antenatal education and breastfeeding, as well as preparing children for school. It was first rolled out in Darndale in 2007.
“The fact that cognitive gains seen at school entry have persisted into adolescence, nearly 10 years after programme participation ended, suggests it may have caused a fundamental shift in children’s developmental trajectories,” said Professor Orla Doyle of UCD’s Geary Institute, which carried out the evaluation.
Improvements were consistent across verbal, non-verbal and spatial domains and Preparing for Life had a significant positive impact on working memory, with fewer attention-related difficulties, supporting classroom engagement.
The study is among few global evaluations of the long-term effects of a home-visiting programme into mid-adolescence.
In 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services recognised Preparing for Life’s ‘unique approach’ to supporting parents.
“This evaluation confirms what families have told us for years, that the impact is long-lasting and meaningful,” said the programme’s manager, Niall Sexton of Northside Partnership.
“It is about giving families a fairer start, recognising the strengths they already have, and working alongside them to unlock children’s potential.”
Developed in collaboration with families in Darndale, Preparing for Life is grounded in ‘Advantaged Thinking’ – a strengths-based philosophy which prioritises potential, dignity, and ambition over deficits.
The approach ensures each family is seen as capable, and each child as worthy of the highest aspirations.
With the backing of Child and Family Agency Tusla, Preparing for Life is now available in ten other communities around Ireland: Bagenalstown (Carlow), Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon), Ballinasloe (Galway), Bray (Wicklow), Castlebar (Mayo), Kilrush (Clare), Newbridge (Kildare) and Tallaght, Balbriggan and Finglas in Dublin.
Following US recognition, it has been adapted to work with families in Chicago and is currently being rolled out there.
Those interested in accessing the service should email pfl.info@nspartnership.ie or phone 01 877-1509.