Readiness for change in at-risk families: development of a brief Parent Readiness for Change Scale

• It is critical to increase engagement among at-risk families in parenting programs. • Assessing parent readiness for change is crucial to prevent dropout and low adherence. • We developed a brief, reliable measure of parental readiness for change for at-risk parents. • The results support the validity and reliability of the PFRCS-SV. • The scale is suitable for various settings, including research and clinical or social services. Low education and socioeconomic status are consistent predictors of low enrolment and dropout in parenting programs and family support services. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to enhance the reach of these services, particularly for at-risk families. The Parent Readiness for Change Scale is a self-report measure developed to assess parents’ readiness for change in parenting programs, and it has been studied mostly with middle-class samples. The present study aimed to develop a short-form version of the PRFCS (PRFCS-SF) suitable for parents with low literacy and psychosocial risk. As specific aims, we examined the factorial structure, convergent validity, and reliability of the PRFCS-SF. The sample consisted of 94 Portuguese parents (76.6% mothers), with a mean age of 36.52 years ( SD = 10.61) and a low level of schooling. The participants were recruited from social welfare agencies, public child protection services, and prisons. The original factor structure was replicated. A three-factor solution emerged from the principal component analyses: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, and Action. The subscales showed a good internal consistency and significant correlations among them. Convergent validity was also supported. Globally, the results support the suitability of the PRFCS-SF for parents with low literacy from at-risk contexts. The brief version of the PRFCS developed in the current study can be applicable in different contexts, including research, clinical settings, and social services.