A good time to begin, he added, is when expectant mothers are still in the hospital. By offering a free service, and building a relationship, you can establish trust in a program from the beginning. The Oregon Healthy Start program does just that, the researchers say. In 21 Oregon counties, all first-birth mothers are approached and offered help and resources, McGuigan pointed out. This is based on the idea that all new mothers can use some support.
Participation is voluntary and services provided differ across families.
Once a relationship is established with the family, it is easier to offer help through parenting advice, development of strategies, role-playing and guided imagery, the researchers say. One key is maintaining access with parents through home visits. But this study clearly demonstrates the critical importance of parents' perceptions of their child. Improving those perceptions may help prevent abuses of the future.