eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP)
About This Program
Target Population: Children/adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age whose parents are divorcing or separating parents (program is provided to the parents)
For parents/caregivers of children ages: 6 – 18
Program Overview
The eNew Beginnings Program for Divorcing and Separating Families (eNBP) is an online parenting-after-divorce program. It is designed to decrease children's internalizing and externalizing problems by teaching parents skills to increase positive family interactions and active listening, use effective discipline strategies; and reduce children’s exposure to interparental conflict. Activities include didactic presentations, skills demonstration videos, interactive exercises, review of use of skills, troubleshooting difficulties, and assignment of home practice. Parents also receive text message reminders to use the program skills. The program can be used on a smartphone, tablet, or computer and there are separate versions for fathers and mothers. The program is a 10-week program. There is a 6-week version of the program that is specifically for parents who are court-mandated to complete a parenting program, but it has not been rated by the CEBC.
Program Goals
The goals for the target population of the eNew Beginnings Program for Divorcing and Separating Families (eNBP) are:
- Decrease likelihood of experiencing internalizing problems
- Decrease likelihood of experiencing externalizing problems
- Decrease likelihood of being diagnosed with a mental health disorder
- Decrease likelihood of substance use
- Decrease likelihood of risky sexual behaviors
- Decrease likelihood of involvement with the criminal justice system
- Decrease likelihood of need for or use of mental health services
- Increase academic performance
- Increase self-esteem
- Increase ability to use adaptive coping
Logic Model
View the Logic Model for eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Essential Components
The essential components of the eNew Beginnings Program for Divorcing and Separating Families (eNBP) include:
- An online parenting-after-divorce program that parents complete on their own
- Parents participate in sessions that include:
- Didactic presentations
- Skills demonstration videos
- Interactive exercises
- Review of use of skills
- Anticipating and troubleshooting difficulties using the skills
- Home practice
- Review of home practice and suggestions for how to improve skill use
- Text message reminders to use the program skills
- 10 weeks in duration and each session takes about 30 minutes to complete
- Separate versions for fathers and mothers
- Recommendations for parents to use the program can come from school counselors and mediators
- The program can be used on a:
- Smartphone
- Tablet
- Computer
- The eNBP is based on an in-person group program that has been demonstrated to have positive outcomes on mental health problems up to 15 years postintervention. This in-person version of the program is no longer available for dissemination.
Program Delivery
Parent/Caregiver Services
eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP) directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:
- Parent of a child who is experiencing parental divorce or separation that can cause disruptive behaviors, anxiety, depression, academic problems, and social difficulties
Recommended Intensity:
1 session/week; each session is 30-40 minutes long
Recommended Duration:
6 weeks or 10 weeks; the 6-week program is for parents who are court-mandated to take the program
Delivery Setting
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Virtual (Online, Telephone, Video, Zoom, etc.)
Homework
eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP) includes a homework component:
In each session, parents are given homework assignments to use the program skills. Parents enter information about their use of the skills and based on these responses, the program provides suggestions for how to improve their use of the skills.
Resources Needed to Run Program
The typical resources for implementing the program are:
Computer, laptop, smartphone for client to access the asynchronous completely online program
Manuals and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
As the parent accesses and completes the program on their own and the lessons in the program are prerecorded, the program does not have minimum qualifications for providers.
Manual Information
There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.
Program Manual(s)
The program contents are uniformly presented directly to each parent through the online learning system which replaces the need for a traditional manual. In the first session, parents are given information on how to navigate the program. In addition, on the program’s website, divorceandparenting.com, there are instructions for professionals to refer parents to the program. Parents who take the 6-week version can receive a certificate of completion that can be given to a court or mental health professional. Parents who need assistance with the program can send an email on the divorceandparenting.com site, which will be responded to within 48 hours.
Training Information
There is not training available for this program.
Implementation Information
Pre-Implementation Materials
There are no pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Formal Support for Implementation
There is no formal support available for implementation of eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Fidelity Measures
There are no fidelity measures for eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Implementation Guides or Manuals
There are no implementation guides or manuals for eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Implementation Cost
There are no studies of the costs of eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Research on How to Implement the Program
Research has not been conducted on how to implement eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being
Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I. N., Winslow, E. B., Porter, M. M., & Tein, J.‐Y. (2022) Effects of an asynchronous, fully web‐based parenting‐after‐divorce program to reduce interparental conflict, increase quality of parenting and reduce children's post‐divorce behavior problems. Family Court Review, 60(3), 474–491. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12620
Type of Study:
Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants:
233 (131 parents, 102 adolescent offspring)
Population:
- Age — Parents: Mean=41 years; Children: Mean=14.2 years
- Race/Ethnicity — 78% Non-Hispanic White, 14% Other, and 8% Hispanic
- Gender — Parent: 63% Mothers/Stepmothers and 37% Fathers/Stepfathers; Children: 50% Female
- Status — Participants were parents who were was divorced, separated but never married, divorcing, or separating and had one or more children aged 6 to 18
Location/Institution: Not specified
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate an asynchronous, fully web-based program for divorced and separated parents, the electronic New Beginnings Program (eNBP) [now called, eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP)]. Parents were randomly assigned to the eNBP or a wait-list control. Measures utilized include the Children's Report of Interparental Conflict Scale, the Caught in the Middle Scale, the Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory (CRPBI), the Parent Adolescent Communication Scale, the Oregon Discipline Scale – Follow-Through, the Child Monitoring Scale, the Brief Problem Monitor (BPM), and the Prosocial Subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results indicate that parents and children in the eNBP reported significantly higher parent–child relationship quality, more effective discipline, lower interparental conflict, and lower child mental health problems than did those in the wait-list control condition. Limitations include that the sample consisted of predominantly Non-Hispanic White heterosexual divorced parents, the reliance on self-reported measures, and program effects were assessed immediately after the program.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Additional References
No reference materials are currently available for eNew Beginnings Program for Divorced and Separated Parents (eNBP).
Contact Information
- Sharlene A Wolchik
- Agency/Affiliation: Family Transitions - Programs that Work
- Website: divorceandparenting.com
- Email: swolchik@divorceandparenting.com
- Phone: (480) 620-0553
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: February 2024
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: May 2024
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: June 2024
