The Parenting within the Public Health System project aims to examine and support the scale-up of Parenting for Lifelong Health within the public health system in Thailand.

Since 2017, the University of Oxford, UNICEF, and MOPH have worked in partnership to adapt, test, and implement PLH Young Children in Thailand. A randomised trial (N=120) demonstrated effectiveness in reducing child maltreatment by 58%, parent mental health problems by 40%, and child behaviour problems by 60% compared to a control of services-as-usual at three-months follow-up. Given these results, the partners have initiated a second phase of implementation, including the training of new cohorts of facilitators, coaches, and trainers; integrating programme delivery, monitoring, and evaluation into the government health services database system; promoting digital parenting delivery; and engaging in policy advocacy.

2024 marked the final year of Thai-based The Peace Culture Foundation’s (PCF) participation in the core GPI. Following a one-year extension period, the Parenting within the Public Health System team’s activities are expected to conclude in the final quarter of 2025, alongside support from partner World Childhood Foundation.
In 2024, the team completed three studies – Social Return on Investment, Cost-benefit Analysis, and Male Engagement – and supported the scale-up of PLH programme delivery within Thailand’s public health system. The cluster RCT of an adapted ParentChat programme, delivered by nurses, is nearing completion, with all data collection activities now finalised.

Findings

1. Cost-benefit Analysis of PLH-YC in Thailand
   This study examined the costing of delivery of PLH-YC within the government public health system according to four scaling scenarios and the benefit to cost ratio of delivering the programme. Depending on the scenario for scaling up PLH-YC within the public health service system (according to unit of scale, district-wide, province-wide, or national level delivery), the provision of the programme is estimated to cost approximately $82-300 per caregiver. Findings also highlight the benefit to cost ratio of PLH-YC falls between 6.1 and 117.7 Thai Baht, suggesting that the programme’s benefits were 6.1 to 117.7 times higher than its costs. The manuscript with the study findings has been submitted for publication in the Child Abuse & Neglect Journal.
2. Social Return on Investment of PLH-YC in Thailand
   This study examined the social value of PLH-YC in Thailand through consultations with caregivers and programme facilitators. Caregivers who were interviewed for the study and who had participated in the PLH-YC programme attributed approximately 77.8% of their life changes to the intervention, likely influenced by their rural residence with limited access to parenting education programmes. In addition, the most significant social value of the programme was observed in improving child monitoring and supervision (66%), followed by increased positive parenting skills (10%), reduced child behaviour problems (8%), and reduction in child emotional abuse (7%).
3. Investigating strategies to improve male engagement
   This qualitative study explored parenting programme content of potential interest to male caregivers, including childcare, education, development, play, academic achievement, child monitoring, and discipline. Findings highlighted several areas that point to greater inclusion of male caregivers in parenting programmes. These included the relevance of targeted recruitment approaches to reach male caregivers when advertising participation in a programme, a need for flexible scheduling based on localised working patterns, creating opportunities for male only spaces and dialogue and consideration of the approach and attitudes of service providers to ensure spaces are safe and welcoming. Dr Amalee McCoy (Co-Principal Investigator, PCF) presented the study findings in a poster presentation session at the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Conference in August and a Thai Positive Parenting Community of Practice Webinar in September. A draft paper is also in process of development and submission to the Child & Family Social Work journal.

Baseline data collection, two interim assessments, post-test data collection, and qualitative data collection with facilitators and parent participants are complete for the RCT of ParentChat. A cluster RCT, led by Wilaiwan Pongpaew (PhD candidate and Playful Parenting Scholar, Chulalongkorn University) examines the effectiveness and feasibility of a hybrid playful parenting intervention – ParentChat – in Udon Thani. A total of 240 parents of 2- to 17-year-olds living in Udon Thani province were enrolled, with 218 assessed at post-test. Qualitative data collection consisted of 12 in-depth interviews with parents and one focus group discussion with five ParentChat facilitators to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of ParentChat content. Programme delivery to six ParentChat groups also proceeded well, with approximately 75% attendance rates across groups. Analyses are currently underway and are set to be completed within the first quarter of 2025.