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Issue Addressed: Young parents (<25 years) have lower engagement with health and community services and are more likely to experience negative outcomes in the perinatal period compared to older parents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short to medium-term outcomes of the Young Parents Program (YPP), specifically designed to engage and support young parents, using responsive and codesign strategies in a community setting., Methods: A qualitative case study used data from interviews with participating parents (n = 20) and a focus group with YPP facilitators (n = 5)., Results: The findings report on the following short to medium-term YPP outcomes for parents and children. Young parents: are engaged in early parenting services that are welcoming, nonjudgemental and holistic; build parenting skills, knowledge, confidence and are tuned into their infants' needs; are empowered to codesign program activities to meet their parenting and nonparenting needs; have developed friendships and a social support network in their local community; and, are linked into community services and resources. Their children are cared for and stimulated with age-appropriate interactions and play., Conclusion: Flexible, responsive and codesigned programs for young parents are effective means of connecting parents to services, social support networks and can provide learning opportunities, which enhance both child and parent attachment and development. SO WHAT?: Qualitative evaluation provides an understanding of contextual factors - required to inform effective design and delivery of young parent community programs., (© 2018 Australian Health Promotion Association.)

Aims and objectives To examine the attitudes to and knowledge and beliefs about homosexuality of nurses and allied professionals in two early parenting services in Australia. Background Early parenting services employ nurses and allied professionals. Access and inclusion policies are important in community health and early childhood service settings. However, little is known about the perceptions of professionals who work within early parenting services in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. Design This is the final in a series of studies and was undertaken in two early parenting services in two states in Australia using a cross-sectional design with quantitative and qualitative approaches. Methods Validated questionnaires were completed by 51 nurses and allied professionals and tested with chi-squared test of independence (or Fisher's exact test), Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance or Spearman's rank correlation. Thematic analysis examined qualitative data collected in a box for free comments. Results Of the constructs measured by the questionnaires, no significant relationships were found in knowledge, attitude and gay affirmative practice scores by sociodemographic variables or professional group. However, attitude scores towards lesbians and gay men were significantly negatively affected by conservative political affiliation ( p = 0·038), held religious beliefs ( p = 0·011) and frequency of praying ( p = 0·018). Six overall themes were found as follows: respect, parenting role, implications for the child, management, disclosure, resources and training. Conclusions The study provided an in-depth analysis of the attitudes, knowledge and beliefs of professionals in two early parenting services, showing that work is needed to promote acceptance of diversity and the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families in planning, developing, evaluating and accessing early parenting services. Relevance to clinical practice Access and inclusion plans for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families are crucial in early parenting services in Australia and should be included in professional development programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]