Happy Families is a family skills intervention implemented by the International Rescue Committee for Burmese migrant and displaced families living in Thailand.
We evaluated Happy Families in a randomized controlled trial with 479 families across 20 communities, in which lay facilitators delivered twelve sessions to groups of families. Caregivers and children both reported warmer parent-child relationships, less negative interaction, and stronger family cohesion and communication after the program. The trial helped to establish the evidence base for the Families Make the Difference intervention the IRC implements across global contexts.
Key Publications
Puffer, E. S., Annan, J., Sim, A. L., Salhi, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2017). The impact of a family skills training intervention among Burmese migrant families in Thailand: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE, 12(3), e0172611.
Annan, J., Sim, A., Puffer, E. S., Salhi, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2017). Improving mental health outcomes of Burmese migrant and displaced children in Thailand: A community-based randomized controlled trial of a parenting and family skills intervention. Prevention Science, 18(7), 793–803.