Service Practice Evaluation of the Early Intervention Programs for Infants and Young Children in Singapore

This study evaluated the extent to which family-centered practices were implemented in 11 Early Intervention Programs for Infants and Young Children (EIPIC). The EIPIC centers offer center-based interventions to young children with moderate and severe disabilities in Singapore. A mixed-method approach was used to evaluate the study. The Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-20) questionnaire was administered to 310 parents. Exploratory factor analyses were performed and generated 16 items that loaded on to 4 factors: Enabling and Partnership, Provision of General Information, Provision of Child-specific Information, and Respectful and Supportive Care. The factor "Coordinated and Comprehensive Care" failed to emerge as a dimension of family-centered care giving. Focus group discussions with 70 parents provided further in-depth information to delineate and elaborate family-oriented factors that parents perceived as important in contributing to family well-being. These included: the nature of support they liked from professional staff, opportunities to build parent capacity to care for their child with disability, and the provision of specific kinds of information and resources. Limitations and implications for practice were discussed.