Core Components

Watch, Wait and Wonder is a child-led intervention programme for individual parents of infants/toddlers ages 0-4 years with relational, behavioural, regulatory and development problems.

The programme is delivered over 15 weekly 1-hour sessions. The programme is operationalised with a manual for practitioners which must be purchased in advance of the Introductory training workshop.

Delivery of the programme requires 1 trained leader and focuses on (1) providing a space for the infant/child and parent to work through developmental and relational struggles through play and (2) engaging the parent to be reflective about the child’s inner world of feelings, thoughts and desires, through which the parent recognizes the separate self of the infant and gains an understanding of their own emotional responses to her child.

Fidelity

The Watch, Wait and Wonder programme is manualised with supervision in the form of Advanced Consultation available for practitioners who can access the centre in Canada.

Modifiable Components

The programme can be adapted for children aged 4 – 12 and their parents.

Support for Organisation / Practice

The organisation Watch, Wait and Wonder is based in Canada.

Implementation Support

Information regarding organisational supports is not available.

Licence Requirements

Secondary source material indicates a license is not required to deliver this programme.

Start-up Costs

Information relating to the costs of this programme is not available.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Training is suitable for those who work with young children and their families and who have some experience with using psychotherapy/counselling. The workshop may also be informative to participants who would like to learn more about infant/child-parent relationship interventions and focusing on the relationship as an intervention.

Training Requirements

Training is available in the format of two workshops which are Introductory and Advanced. The duration of the Introductory workshop is 2 days and is limited to 40-45 participants and the Advanced workshop is 2-3 days. The Advanced workshop is taken 6 months to one year after the initial Introductory workshop giving the practitioner time to implement the programme in their own practice with a minimum of one parent-child dyad. To participate in the Advanced workshop, completion of the Introductory workshop is a pre-requisite. Training workshops are delivered in Canada, the cost of these workshops is not available.

Supervision Requirements

Information relating to a formal supervision framework is not available. Advanced Consultation is available for practitioners who can physically access the centre in Canada and is provided as a 1-day monthly meeting over a duration of 6-8 months. The Advanced workshop also adopts a group case supervision approach with a focus on difficulties encountered when implementing the programme.

Theory of Change

Watch, Wait and Wonder is an infant led psychotherapeutic approach that specifically and directly uses the infant’s spontaneous activity in a free play format to enhance maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, the child’s sense of self and self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and the child-parent attachment relationship. The approach provides space for the infant/child and parent to work through developmental and relational struggles through play. The short-term goal is for parents to develop positive representations of their child, increase their sensitivity and for the child to experience greater attachment security. The longer-term goal is for children to develop positive expectations of themselves and others, demonstrate improved mental health and be at reduced risk of child maltreatment.

Values

Watch, Wait and Wonder seeks to enhance maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, develop the child’s sense of self and self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and the child-parent attachment relationship.

• Does promoting a positive nurturing relationship between parents and young children align with the key values of your service/organisation?

Priorities

Watch, Wait and Wonder has been developed as a child-led intervention programme for individual families of children aged 0-4 years with relational, behavioural, regulatory and development problems. 

Working with parents of young children aged 0–4 years in a prevention approach to help build parents confidence, develop parent and child interactions and relationships and equip parents with the necessary skills to positively parent:

• Is this a current priority for your organisation?
• Is helping parents understand their child’s behaviour a priority for your organisation?

Existing Initiatives

• Does your service already provide prevention programmes aiming to improve child development and mental health outcomes?
• Does your area have practitioners trained in delivering Watch, Wait and Wonder?
• Do you have links with CAMHS, Adult Mental Health Services and Child Protection Services to refer onto if required?

Workforce

To deliver Watch, Wait and Wonder requires 1 trained leader for 15 weeks. Additionally, leaders will require additional time for preparation, phone calls and potentially home visits. 

• Do you have enough qualified practitioners available to commit to undertake training?
• Do you have enough qualified practitioners available to commit to delivering the full extent of this programme?

Technology Support

Technology supports required to deliver the programme are unknown. 

Administrative Support

Administrative supports to deliver the programme are unknown.

Financial Support

Financial support costs to deliver the programme are unknown.

Comparable Population 

Watch, Wait and Wonder is an intervention programme for individual parents of infants/toddlers ages 0-4 years and is applicable to a range of infants and young children with relational, behavioural, regulatory and development problems.  Research identified has focused on parents experiencing difficult with their young children 10-30 months old.

• Is this comparable to the population you serve?
• Does your organisation have existing contacts with parents in this population?
• Are you likely to receive enough referrals for eligible families to populate a recurring programme of Watch, Wait and Wonder?

Desired Outcome

Watch, Wait and Wonder is a psychotherapeutic based intervention programme designed to enhance maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, the child’s sense of self and self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and the child-parent attachment relationship. 

Watch, Wait and Wonder has been found to be effective in improving infant-cognitive development and emotion regulation, improving secure attachment relationships and decreasing maternal depression.

• Are the improvements of children’s development, parental attachment, learning and mental health priority outcomes for your organisation?
• Do you have other existing initiatives that would be supportive of addressing this need and achieving these outcomes?