This resource is part of a series developed to support programs in successfully implementing a parenting curriculum. In this resource, learn about the installation stage.
Installation Stage Key Tasks
The installation stage is an opportunity to identify and gather the resources necessary to deliver a parenting curriculum successfully and with fidelity. This stage also helps ensure that the systems and resources are in place to support successful implementation.
Train implementation team members. Ensure that the team members understand the curriculum and how it shapes their role in implementing the curriculum, supporting the curriculum facilitators, setting up processes, tracking data, and using data for ongoing decision-making. Develop plans to offer consistent training and to help orient new implementation team members as needed.
Develop a communication plan. Think about how implementation team members prefer to communicate about the process. How often does the team want to communicate and to whom? Do they prefer emails or phone calls? When are video chats and in-person meetings appropriate? A clear communication system and plan will help the team gather feedback about what’s going well and where adjustments may be needed.
Identify and train facilitators. Consider the capacity of your program staff to deliver training. For example, can staff take on a facilitation role? Do they have sufficient knowledge of the curriculum? Or, will you need to hire new staff facilitators or contract with professionals? Are there organizations within your community that you might partner with to deliver the curriculum?
Start with a small team of facilitators to help pilot the curriculum so that you can make any changes needed. Develop a consistent training plan to ensure high-quality training for facilitators. Training should clarify the roles and expectations of curriculum facilitators.
Installation Stage Checklist
- Train implementation team members
- Develop a communication plan
- Identify and train facilitators
- Develop a plan for ongoing training
- Develop a support system for delivering the curriculum
- Develop a recruitment and retention strategy
- Review policies and procedures
- Set up or modify data systems
Develop a plan for ongoing training. Identify coaches (or supervisors) to support the facilitators. Coaches should have a strong understanding of the curriculum, group dynamics, and strategies for working with parents.
Develop a support system for delivering the curriculum. Develop coaching plans to support and monitor the delivery of the curriculum over time. Consider using your mental health consultant or a senior family service professional to support the staff who are implementing the curriculum.
Develop a recruitment and retention strategy. Consider ways to identify parents and families to participate in the curriculum. Reach out to the parents who were part of the exploration team, parents in leadership roles, and parents who you know might be interested in participating. Work closely with teachers, home visitors, and family service staff to share the benefits for both children and families of participating in the curriculum. Plan to use multiple communication styles (e.g., notes home, flyers, emails, texts, and any other ways your parents prefer to get information) to encourage parents to join.
Plan how to encourage parents to complete all sessions of the curriculum. Will you offer incentives for completion at each session, for repeated attendance, and for attending all the sessions? Consider certificates of completion, small gifts, or raffle opportunities.
Review policies and procedures. Identify and put in place the supports and resources needed to implement the curriculum using input from staff and families. What kinds of resources and materials are needed for implementation and continuous quality improvement? Consider space, supplies, frequency of sessions, time of day, and funding. What are the transportation, child care, and refreshment needs for each session? Identify changes or new policies that may be needed to support training, facilitation, and implementation.
Set up or modify existing data systems. Prepare to track your program’s progress in implementing the parenting curriculum. Coordinate systems for collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and using information about the curriculum with your program-level data management systems. Consider whether the system you have in place is adequate to monitor and evaluate the parenting curriculum. Is a change or update needed? What training or supports will staff need to participate effectively in all aspects of the data cycle accurately? Make a plan for how to share data and with whom.
By the end of the installation stage, the systems and structures are in place and working at a level that allows you to begin delivering the parenting curriculum for parents and families in your program, which takes you to the next phase: initial implementation.
Additional Resources
- An Integrated Stage-Based Framework for Implementation of Early Childhood Programs and Systems
- California Evidence-based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare—Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices: A Guide for Child and Family Serving Systems
- National Implementation Research Network’s (NIRN) Active Implementation Hub— Modules, Lessons & Short courses, and Resource Library
Read more:
Resource Type: Publication
National Centers: Parent, Family and Community Engagement
Audience: Family Service Workers
Last Updated: October 24, 2023