The Voimaperheet program for Parents of 3- and 4-Year-Old Children
The Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County will continue offering the Voimaperheet parental guidance program for families with 3- and 4-year-olds
Starting from the beginning of 2023, the Voimaperheet (“Empowered Families”) intervention model developed by the University of Turku Research Centre for Child Psychiatry has been implemented in the maternity and child health clinics of Western Uusimaa. The model aims to identify behavioural problems in young children even before they reach school age. The model is the result of years of research and development, and it is based on digital preventive care.
This is what the Voimaperheet program is about:
At the beginning of the year, a digitalised universal positive parent training intervention Ole läsnä (Be present with your child, duration 8 weeks), aimed at parents of three-year-old children, was introduced at the maternity and child health clinics in Western Uusimaa. You will receive a registration code when you have tested your suitability for the programme: Voimaperheet questionnaire and the registration to parent training(external link). Alternatively, you can ask for a registration code from the nurse at the three-year maternity and child health clinic visit. The programme is available in Finnish and Swedish.
The Huomaa hyvä lapsessasi (“Notice the good in your child”) program is intended for parents of 4-year-old children. The Voimaperheet parent guidance program is offered to families when the criteria for participation are met based on the completed questionnaire form and when the parents feel that their child’s behaviour is causing stress in their everyday life. The Voimaperheet team at the University of Turku Research Centre for Child Psychiatry sends the questionnaire to families by mail and carries out the parental guidance program in its entirety.
The questionnaire evaluates the need for psychosocial support within the family
The questionnaire will assess the family’s possible need for psychosocial support. The family will fill out the form at home and bring it to the child’s four-year check-up at the maternity and child health clinic. If the criteria for participation are met and the family considers the child to have behavioural problems that affect their daily life, the family will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Voimaperheet program. Participation takes place either online or via phone calls, making it possible to participate from home, for instance.
The family coach is in contact with the parent(s) on a weekly basis and supports the family in managing and solving difficult interactions and problems. Receiving an invitation to or participating in the program does not imply that the child has a behavioural disorder. The goal of the program is to have a preventive effect on the development of behaviour-related difficulties. Participation in the program is completely confidential.
We heartily encourage families to fill out and return the questionnaire form. A new form can be obtained at the maternity and child health clinic if it is forgotten or lost before the four-year check-up.