Influence of Family Empowerment on Increasing Knowledge about Child Development and Parenting of Preschool Age Children

Abstract

The knowledge of child development and parenting is the important things especially for mothers of preschool-age children. Mothers who are knowledgeable are more likely to create an environment that is appropriate to their children‘s and more likely to interact with their children in more sensitive ways. Intervention of family empowerment is one of way to increase the maternal knowledge. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of family empowerment on increasing knowledge about child development and parenting of preschool-age children. This study used quasi experimental design with t-test and multiple linear regression analysis. Conducted in two areas in Bogor, the sample of this study was 32 mother in control group and 32 in treatment group. The treatment group involved in eight sessions of family empowerment. The material of intervention prepared based on the three of Euis Sunarti's popular parenting books and considering the HOME score. The result showed that there are no differences of maternal knowledge between control and treatment group in baseline data and there are significant differences in endline data. In control group there are no differences of maternal knowledge between baseline and endline data except parenting knowledge. In intervention group there are significant defferences between baseline and endline data. The result also indicates that there are positive effect of intervention of family empowerment which accounted for 42,2 per cent on increasing knowledge about child development and parenting of preschool age children.