Family Foundations 

Family Foundations is a universal prevention program developed in collaboration with childbirth educators to enhance coparenting quality among couples who are expecting their first child. The program consists of four prenatal and four postnatal sessions, run once a week, with each two-hour session administered to groups of 6-10 couples. Sessions are led by a trained male-female team and follow the Family Foundations curriculum. Female leaders are childbirth educators and male leaders are from various backgrounds, but experienced in working with families and leading groups. Ongoing observation of sessions facilitates regular supervision discussions. This program focuses on coparenting and the coparenting relationship, rather than other romantic relationship or parenting qualities. In assisting parents to work together supportively, the program content covers emotional self-management, conflict management, problem solving, communication, and mutual support strategies. Parenting strategies include an understanding of temperament, fostering children's self-regulation, and promoting attachment security. The four prenatal classes introduce the couple to themes and skills, and the four postnatal classes revisit the themes once the couple has experienced life as parents and coparents. The delivery is psychoeducational and skills-based, with didactic presentations, couple communication exercises, written worksheets, videotaped vignettes of other families, and group discussion. An online version of the program has also been created and implemented.