Tracing women's perceptions of their experiences in an early intervention centre program

grantor: University of TorontoThe primary goal of this qualitative case study was to explore six women's perceptions of their experiences in an early intervention centre-based program. The program served families from psychopathological populations. Maternal deprivation, problematic mother/father-child relationships, marital stress, addictions, abuse, and poverty were evidenced to some degree or another in these families and in their nuclear families. The bulk of the work was dedicated to providing narratives of these women's lives and their experiences in the program. Within the context of their past and present experiences, each was able to extrapolate and individualize certain aspects of the program to meet their individual needs. The women attending the Family Enrichment Program were interviewed three times during the 1995–1996 school year October, February, and May. The sessions were tape-recorded and carried out on site and/or in either their homes or an alternate place. Ages for the women ranged from 19 to 31; educational levels from Grade 8 to college; marital status included common law, separated, and married; and they had from 1 to 3 children (under 5) per family. Through the perceptions of these women, two salient features were noted: the environment into which they came, and the caregiver's responsiveness to them and to their children. Being in a nurturing and secure environment in which caregivers exuded confidence, encouragement and acceptance of the participants' potential as women, daughters, partners and parents, appear to be among the factors that these women perceived as being important. The genuine concern, care and love expressed by the staff and volunteers broke down the women's resistance, reservations and mistrust. By being affirmed and recognized in their own right, these women gained more self-confidence, self-awareness and feelings of self-advocacy. The large number of volunteers assisting in child-care enabled participants to leave their children, secure in the belief that the youngsters would be well cared for. Moreover the one-on-one ratio of volunteer to child enabled their children to gain an independence from their parents to socialize, explore and venture into many unknown areas denied them in their own environments.Ph.D