This program is delivered to parents of children who are birth to 3 years old and is intended to impact parents and children.

Growing Great Kids® (GGK®) Next Generation Prenatal-36 Months (GGK Next Generation), a community-based curriculum, is designed to strengthen protective factors within families by fostering attachment and improving the parent-child relationship, developing parental empathy and responsiveness, building parental resilience, and strengthening child development.

Several evaluations have been performed in which the GGK curriculum has been implemented as one component of home visitation programs such as Families First home visiting (FFHV), the Healthy Families Arizona home visitation program, and Kentucky’s Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program. Overall, results from these studies have demonstrated some positive program effects across a variety of child and parent outcomes at 1, 2, and 3 years after program initiation; however, results are generally not replicated across studies. Results from FFHV studies have demonstrated that intervention children had lower rates of being in the care of child welfare services by the child’s first, second, and third birthdays; lower rates of hospitalization for maltreatment-related injuries by the child’s third birthday; greater likelihood of receiving complete immunizations at age 1 and age 2; and lower rates of witnessing or being a victim of a crime, and, finally, parents had greater involvement in community support groups compared to a control group. Results from Healthy Families Arizona studies have demonstrated positive outcomes at a 1-year follow-up for the intervention group, compared to a control group, for home environment, total violence, and the use of resources and mobilizing resources. There were no differences between groups on any measures of health or maternal outcomes, mental health, or coping (e.g., immunizations, well-baby checks, social support). Finally, results from an evaluation of Kentucky’s HANDS program demonstrated that intervention participants experienced lower rates of preterm delivery and low birth-weight infants, an increase in adequate prenatal care, a reduction in maternal complications during pregnancy, and a decreased likelihood of having a substantiated report of child maltreatment compared to a control group.

The GGK Next Generation curriculum is implemented within a larger home visitation program and emphasizes building relationships, enhancing parental empathy, understanding healthy child development, strengthening family communication, developing family support systems, learning problem-solving skills, and realizing the importance of parental self-care and health. The curriculum includes the following six development-focused modules:

• Basic Care;
• Social and Emotional Development;
• Cues and Communication;
• Physical and Brain Development;
• Play and Stimulation; and
• Successes and Next Steps.

Modules contain developmentally suitable activities and interactive discussions that are designed to assist parents in learning information and implementing acquired skills. The curriculum is available in English and Spanish.

GGK was first implemented in 1999 and has been used as a parenting intervention curriculum for over 700 affiliate programs.

This program is facilitated by home visitors. Home visitors and supervisors must attend a 4 1/2-day training seminar. Supervisors must attend an additional 3-day training. Training can be provided on-site or off-site. Additional implementation supports are offered, such as advanced online courses, supervisor's professional development package, and a booster training. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring parent buy-in, obtaining facilitators and ensuring they receive training, making time for program sessions, finding mutually convenient times for home visits, and realizing that start-up costs may be substantial.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing GGK Next Generation, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Home visits are generally held weekly for 2 hours each, and the GGK curriculum is implemented in 30 to 45 minutes per home visit.

Average cost of the curriculum package is $1,700-$2,000 per person. To get a quote, please use details in the Contact section, or visit https://www.greatkidsinc.org/new-to-great-kids/p-36-costs/ for more information.

To move GGK Next Generation to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one replication study by a separate group of authors should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least two years from the beginning of the program or at least one year from program completion on an outcome(s) that has (have) already demonstrated sustained, positive effects.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185  Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Great Kids Inc., by mail 100 North 72nd Avenue, Wausau, WI 54401, phone 1-800-906-5581, email info@greatkidsinc.net, or visit https://www.greatkidsinc.org/new-to-great-kids/growing-great-kids-next-generation-p-36/

https://www.greatkidsinc.org/new-to-great-kids/growing-great-kids-next-generation-p-36/ and https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/curriculum/consumer-report/curricula/growing-great-kids-prenatal-36-months