“Everyone’s in it with me”: Sing&Grow program fosters parent connection, wellbeing and responsiveness

BACKGROUND: Sing&Grow Australia is an evidence-based, federally funded music therapy program that caters to children from birth to 5 years of age and their families across Australia. In the current study, the Sing&Grow program was delivered to families affected by sexual abuse and domestic violence, with a focus on improving parents' capacity to develop secure relationships with their young children. The lifelong effects of trauma, including developmental delays, can prevail if not addressed early in children's lives. METHODS: Eight parents participated with their children in the Sing&Grow program. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed using narrative analysis. This approach sought to further understand how involvement in the Sing&Grow program improved parents'/caregivers' self-efficacy to support their child's development using music, responsive parenting skills and subjective wellbeing. RESULTS: The findings from the study highlighted the benefits of participation in the Sing&Grow program for parents, including increased social connectedness, responsiveness, self-efficacy and knowledge to use music as a parenting tool. Importantly, the narratives illuminated how these changes were experienced and understood by the parents within the context of trauma. CONCLUSION: This study contributes new qualitative knowledge by offering an in-depth narrative account of how trauma-aware, music-based early intervention is experienced by parents and caregivers affected by sexual abuse and domestic violence. Sing&Grow offers parents and caregivers opportunities to integrate positive social and communication skills into parenting and children's daily routines.