Volume 5 | Issue 3
D I S COVER Research that matters from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Research within the College of ACES impacts all our lives. With expertise in agriculture and the environment, data and technology, family and communities, and health and wellness, our reach is both broad and deep. Uniting us is a deep commitment to solving real-world problems affecting Central Illinois, the United States, and the globe. Here, we highlight a fraction of our world-class research in the area of family and communities, promoting family resilience and wellbeing; evaluating the effectiveness of federal programs; and revealing the roles of parental relationships on children.
THE FAMILY RESILIENCY CENTER SUPPORTS FAMILIES, YOUTH, AND COMMUNITIES The Family Resiliency Center, housed in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, works to address emergent public health and social justice issues facing families, individuals, and communities. The FRC takes a holistic, inclusive, and transdisciplinary approach, engaging with community collaborators to develop research and policies that promote health, resilience, and wellbeing. Current projects examine how families, youth, and childcare providers cope with COVID-19 stressors; how mindfulness practices can benefit minority adolescents in urban environments; and how to build research and policy skills among youth ages 13-18. The FRC website provides resources that offer practical solutions to common family and household stressors, including Building Blocks of The Family Resiliency Center applies a holistic approach to public health and social justice issues. Resilience and Mealtime Minutes.
ACES STUDY PROVES WORTH OF FEDERAL NEW-PARENT PROGRAM
ACES research found new parent education programs eased stress of early parenthood and boosted couple satisfaction.
aces-research@illinois.edu
New parent education programs have received significant federal funding in recent decades, with the goal of preparing adults for the stresses of raising young children. But few of these programs have been evaluated for efficacy by third-party researchers. In a recent study, ACES family scientists tracked 339 couples enrolled in the Family Expectations program, funded through the Administration for Children and Families under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers compared couples’ responses on surveys administered before and after the program, finding significant positive benefits overall. Specifically, couples in the program reported lower psychological distress, better mental health, lower levels of harsh parenting, improved couple functioning, and more co-parent satisfaction. The benefits were still detectable 12 months later, suggesting the programs are well worth the investment.
aces.illinois.edu/research/areas/family-communities