For the sake of the baby
Baby FAST™ is a widely used multifamily group intervention model for young parents and their infants and toddlers (age 0-3). It works especially well for first-time mothers, and is intended to protect vulnerable families with risk factors, such as single-parent families, teen moms, isolated families, or within communities with higher risk factors.
This model is the strongest intervention program because while it is preventive for the babies--catching them early in their cognitive and behavioral development, it also supports identified risks and provides a more assertive coaching approach than in other FAST models.
Although Baby FAST is supported by school systems and preschool programs as a way to help parents ready their small children for their first learning steps, it is normally sponsored by local mental health and AODA professionals to support parents, especially moms during this critical time in the family lifecycle. It is often used to supplement home visitations for isolated and at risk families. Baby FAST has been embraced by families from all walks of life across the North America.
Sandra Scarr, developmental psychologist, author: Mother Care/Other Care
Polly Berrien Berends, author: Whole Child/Whole Parent
Parents:
- share problem solving with other caring parents
- learn important baby care habits and techniques
- establish roles and family management rules
- find help for your specific needs
- connect with parents, schools, churches, and community services
Baby:
- learn trust and how to communicate nonverbally
- gain stimulation and stress reduction
- learn environmental cues for better development
- develop habits and routines
- grow safely and stay healthy
Educators:
- reach and involve hard to reach parents at an early stage
- teach parents child care and child development techniques
- improve preschool and school readiness
Law Enforcement:
- reduce in-home violence and stress
- builds neighborhood support relationships between young parents
Health Care, Mental Health practitioners:
- helps lead a powerful forum for change and prevention
- keeps young children safe and healthy
- adds a valuable model to your service portfolio (providers)
- adds valuable skills to your organization (providers)
- attract funding and awareness (providers)
- meaningful collaboration with community
- gain referrals (providers)
Funders:
- practical, well-supported, recognized program that you can really get behind
- low risk, highly visible results
- low cost-per-family served
- multidisciplinary, holistic approach
- every site and participant is evaluated
- builds community social capital
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
Baby FAST is a great program for young, isolated families in insecure family environments and within challenged communities. It is a much needed, collaborative approach to caring for vulnerable infants.
Our programs are 100% evaluated, resulting in strong evidence that our program objectives are consistently met.
- reduced compulsive/impulsive behaviors in families
- reduced aggression, anxiety, depression in families
- reduced family conflict and stress
- improved well baby skills and awareness
- improved family unity and communication
- improved extended family communication
- strengthened child development and care efforts
- revived parenting skills
- improved parental self-esteem, social skills
- strengthened coping skills of young parents
- child brain and neural stimulation
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
Program components include:
- Family unit strengthening:
- Welcome & personal introductions
- Music, singing & relaxation
- Making Family Choices activities
- Group perspective building
- Scenario building
- Intergeneration resolution sharing
- Breakout groups
- Fathers, grandparents, moms by age group, siblings
- Maternal treatment: emotional, interpersonal, self-esteem
- Baby massage therapy
- Optimizing floor play
- Dialogic reading techniques
- Father coaching and interaction
- Grandparent support skills
- Siblings support time
- Meal time
- Attendance incentives and reciprocity
- Affirmations and closing routine
- At-home massage, baby activities
- FASTWORKS ongoing mini-community interaction
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
- Baby FAST parents enroll through outreach programs and open enrollment.
- After being shown the program content, parents who commit to Baby FAST meet together weekly for eight weeks.
- Each session lasts approximately 2 ½ hours. Parents consistently tell us they wish they could meet more often.
- Baby FAST programs are typically held at churches, hospitals, clinics, and early childhood centers.
- Program cycles conclude with graduation ceremonies.
- After graduation, parents work together as a virtual community and meet regularly to support each other while their babies grow.
- Health nurse
- Occupational therapist or baby massage therapist
- Mental health specialist
- Young mother leader -- often FAST graduate
- Young father leader
- Mother or father (or support person) of young mother or young father
- Father specialist
We thoroughly train FAST teams and coach them through the process of delivering this exciting and absorbing program.
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
- 34% of parents showed improvement in post-program family relationships
- 87% of parents describe increased networking and support from community, nurses, or other parents
- Parents and grandparents consistently report increasing family cohesion after the program
- Parents and grandparents consistently report reduced stress and aggression in the household
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
Our programs are 100% evaluated, resulting in strong evidence that our program objectives are consistently met. Because our approach is uniquely multidisciplinary, FAST delivers results in children, parents and siblings in ways that offer the best chance for children to receive the attention they need to thrive, even in challenging environments.
- Social relationships Questionnaire (McDonald & Moberg, 2002)
- Social Support (Sherborne & Stewart, 1991; McDonald & Moberg, 2002)
- Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos, 1981)
- Personal Effectiveness (Coleman & Karraker, 2000; Sherer, Mercadante, Prentice-Dunn, Jacobs & Rogers)
- Parenting Stress Index (Abdin & Sheras, 1986)
- Past 30-day substance abuse (CSAP GPRA, 2005)
- Social relationships Questionnaire (McDonald & Moberg, 2002)
- Social Support (Sherborne & Stewart, 1991; McDonald & Moberg, 2002)
- Parenting (Spoth, Redmond, Haggerty & Ward, 1995)
- Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos, 1981)
- Personal Effectiveness (Coleman & Karraker, 2000; Sherer, Mercadante, Prentice-Dunn, Jacobs & Rogers)
- Personal Effectiveness of New Parent (Coleman & Karraker, 2000; Sherer, Mercadante, Prentice-Dunn, Jacobs & Rogers, 1982)
- Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents (Abdin & Sheras, 1986)
- Past 30-day substance abuse (CSAP GPRA, 2005)
How can I learn more about starting a FAST program?
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| Training, per team* | $3,900 |
| Evaluation report, per cycle: | |
| First Cycle | $1,000 |
| Subsequent Cycles (includes licensing & registration) |
$1,125 |
| Aggregate report for 2 cycles: | $1,775^ |
| Aggregate report for 3-12 cycled: | $2,500^ |
| Technical Support | see Client Services Representative for free, customized detailed budget |
| Staff Time | see Client Services Representative for free, customized detailed budget |
| Activity costs | see Client Services Representative for free, customized detailed budget |
| Training travel | see Client Services Representative for free, customized detailed budget |
| Teacher curriculum cost | None! Our program is extracurricular |
* Curriculum included for reuse in licensed sites only.
^ Can be same semester, different sites, or different semesters, same site.
Please contact us for volume discounts