The Relief Nursery program is a comprehensive, integrated array of prevention services designed to support families considered "at risk" for child abuse and neglect. The core components of the program are:
(a) The Therapeutic Early Childhood Classroom Program (TECP)
(b) home visiting
(c) group-based parent education and support services.
The Relief Nursery program aims to prevent the cycle of child abuse and neglect by building successful and resilient children, strengthening parents, and preserving families. The program seeks to:
See also Relief Nursery Program Summary in the Reducing Child Harm and Maltreatment Evidence Review.
The Relief Nursery Program is targeted at parents who have children under the age of four and are considered at risk for child abuse and neglect.
The program has only been tested in the USA (Eddy et al. 2019).
A randomised control trial was conducted with 150 people (70 people in the intervention group and 80 people in the control group). On average, mothers were 29 years old and children were 3 years old. Most mothers were Caucasian and from low-income families.
The program has not been tested in Australia or with Aboriginal Australians.
Overall, the Relief Nursery prevention program has a mixed effect on client outcomes.
Mixed research evidence (with no adverse effects):
The core components of The Relief Nursery program are home visiting, parent education, and a therapeutic early childhood classroom. Because both the level of risk for problems and the specific needs varies greatly across families, other aspects of the program are tailored as needed.
The Therapeutic Early Childhood Classroom Program (TECP) serves as the "hub" of the Relief Nursery program. A team of early interventionists (typically 2 trained teachers and 2 or more support volunteers) work with a group of children (typically 8 to 10 per classroom) in developmentally appropriate classroom settings.
Home Visiting provides a direct and ongoing connection between the experiences of the child in the TECP and parents/caregivers. Home visits actively include all parents/caregivers. During home visits early childhood teachers work to enhance parenting skills, promote parent/child relationships, provide referrals, and otherwise support parents in creating a healthy and nurturing home environment.
Group-based Parent Education and Support Services complement individual parent education and support activities within the home visiting program. Small group-based classes are offered on a rotational basis throughout the year and utilise "best practices" in parent education for at-risk families. Classes provide the opportunity to gain knowledge and build skills through brief lectures, small and large group discussions, demonstrations, role plays, and projects. Childcare and snacks are provided.
Additional components include:
Not reported.
The Relief Nursery program’s most costly component is the TECP due to the number of staff required and needs to be taken into account for financial consideration when running the program (see Eddy et al. 2019).
One RCT conducted in the USA, with 150 participants (Eddy et al. 2019).
Further resources
The Relief Nursery Program website: https://reliefnursery.org
24 Feb 2023
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Informed by lessons of the past, Department of Communities and Justice is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.
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