Baseline evaluation of the Dublin Docklands Parent Child Home Programme.

The PCHP home visiting programme aims to improve school readiness of children at risk of educational disadvantage. A trained Home Visitor calls to a parent and child twice a week over two years. Each week the Home Visitors interact with the children, using the books and toys provided, and model oral language, reading and play. Parents are encouraged to continue this practice between visits. The Dublin Docklands PCHP, operating in four Liffeyside parishes, commenced in autumn 2007, based on a model developed in the United States. Unlike the US PCHP, the Docklands programme is delivered by local women, all mothers, rather than professionals. This was important to programme success: if not accepted locally it would have had difficulty reaching its goals. This study evaluated programme implementation and outcomes for the developmental phase (2009-2011) of the Parent Child Home Programme (PCHP) in three domains: the programme, the Home Visitors, and children and their parents.