Promoting First Relationships - a free, in-home program for families

Promoting First Relationships ( PFR) is a home visiting program that can really build your sense of confidence as a parent and a positive attachment with your child. 

After strong evidence of its success in the United States, Kids First has trained more than 20 staff in the PFR techniques, meaning our clients who are parents or caregivers, can tap into this amazing program and Kids First's free resources. 

PFR is flexible and adaptable and is delivered in your home. Our practitioner will work with you depending what your needs and priorities are, to enhance your relationship with your child. This may be one week, or up to 10. In addition to visiting your home, our practitioner will provide you with handouts and video content so that what you learn as a family is embedded and sustainable.  

Common things PFR can help parents/caregivers with:

• Building a positive attachment relationship with your child.
• Understanding your child’s difficult behaviors, and looking at the feelings and needs behind these behaviors.
• Understanding how to support your child’s social and emotional health.
• Discussing strategies for coping with difficult times as a parent.
• Understanding ways you can help your child through emotionally difficult experiences.
• Understanding your own social and emotional needs.

PFR has been shown to improve child + parent outcomes

Promoting First Relationships is based on attachment theory and has a sound evidence base showing positive outcomes. These include:

• Improved parental sensitivity to children’s needs
• increased parental knowledge of children’s social and emotional needs
• improved child behaviour, including sleep patterns in infants.

Additionally research has shown a 2.5 reduction in foster care placements for families who have received PFR programs.

Parents who have taken part in PFR with Kids First have said: 

"I am so grateful to you and the program it has been a fantastic support especially in my confidence as a parent. Before the program I doubted myself a lot thinking I must be doing something wrong or could be doing something better. You helped me see all the little things I was doing well and reflect on what I also needed. You always made me feel comfortable to share and I felt you very quickly picked up on our needs and went out of your way to accommodate these. You explained everything so well and were inclusive in how we worked together. I never felt judged and the way you delivered feedback was encouraging and motivating. A huge thank you, you have made a huge difference in my life and hopefully a flow on effect to my child’s life.”

For more information about the PFR Program you can visit their website at https://pfrprogram.org/who-we-are/

We would love to work with your family

If you live in Melbourne's north eastern suburbs and would like to know more about accessing PFR through Kids First please call: Kids First Intake on 9450 0900 

or send an email to: intake@kidsfirstaustralia.org.au