38: Navigating Virtual Parenting Programs: Challenges and Opportunities in Engaging Caregivers and Evaluating Impact

This session highlights how the ACF-funded 2Flourish parenting program transitioned to a virtual format during COVID-19 to serve families affected by parental substance use. While virtual delivery expands accessibility, it also presents challenges in evaluating the program’s impact on children. Parents in the program are in recovery or struggling with substance use, and many have lost custody of their children. Data from caregivers—foster parents, relatives, or guardians—is often needed to assess child well-being, yet engaging them has proven difficult. This session will examine strategies to improve caregiver participation in evaluations and address the strengths and challenges of virtual delivery in promoting behavioral health outcomes for families affected by substance misuse. Key objectives will include discussing the importance of caregiver engagement in program evaluation, methods for engaging parents in virtual programming, and the potential barriers to providing family and parenting programs via telehealth.

Kallie Cabanban; Angela Keyzers