Promoting First Relationships
Our evidence-based reflective parenting program
What is Promoting First Relationships (PFR)?
PFR is an evidence-based program dedicated to promoting children’s social-emotional development through responsive, nurturing caregiver-child relationships.
We train providers in our Home Visiting, Child Care and Pediatric clinic-based models, where they learn practical, in-depth, effective strategies for promoting secure and healthy relationships between caregivers and young children (birth to 5 years).
Why PFR Training?
A child’s emotional, social, and mental development starts with close, positive interactions with primary caregivers. These early relationships shape how children learn, communicate, behave, and connect with others.
By training providers to support parents and caregivers to be nurturing, responsive, and tuned in to their children’s feelings and needs, we can achieve the desired goals: secure children who engage in trusting and caring relationships with others and are free to explore and learn about the world around them.
Features of the training program include:
- Video recording of caregiver-child interactions to provide insight into real-life situations.
- How to give positive feedback that builds caregivers’ confidence and competence in their parenting.
- How to focus on the deeper emotional feelings and needs that underlie caregiver’s and children’s distress and behaviors.
- How to promote a wondering stance in parents and caregivers through reflection and mindfulness.
The evidence behind PFR
PFR has undergone rigorous evaluation through EIGHT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS), funded by the National Institutes of Health, and has been reviewed by FOUR EVIDENCE-BASED CLEARINGHOUSES.
Please see our Research Summary for further details.
Learn more about the PFR program
Please visit PFR’s website to learn about more about: