At the heart of the 'EfshariBari Family' program are guidance and training for parents with the parents' involvement. Experiential training is based on this principle. Participants go through an experience process that demonstrates the importance of focusing on relationships with customers, listening, empathy and focus on family's strengths.
At the end of 2012, the Ministry of Health decided, together with Early Childhood Professional Committee at Joint Israel Ashalim and 3600, to develop the National Program for Children and Youth at Risk and Good Start, a program for the development of optimal parenting, nutrition and early childhood diet. Partners of the program at the Ministry of Health include the Department of Health Promotion, the Department of Public Health Nutrition, the Department for Mothers, Children and Adolescents, and the Department of Public Health Nursing.
The requirement for a parent skill training program came about after needs were identified in Israel, followed by an examination of relevant models in Israel and around the world that could adequately address the identified need. Finally, an English program was found that seemed to fit – after adaptation and translation – to Israel's needs. In the UK it’s called HENRY – Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young.
In order to adapt it for Israel, it was decided to purchase a franchise for this program. As part of the agreement with 'HENRY UK', a delegation of 4 women from the Ministry of Health departed in 2013 for a three-week learning and training course in England. The team included a public health nurse and a health promoter from the Ministry of Health. Ashalim sent a nutritionist and program director from the preschool unit.
The program – which is a response to the promotion of physical activity and nutrition in early childhood which is part of the National Project for an Active and Healthy Lifestyle- 'EfshariBari' – so in 2016 it was given the name 'EfshariBari Family'.
'EfshariBari Family' goals focus on five areas
- Parenting – authoritative and attentive parenting that facilitates the security to change habits
- Eating patterns – regular family meals
- Healthy eating – encouraging eating fruit and vegetables, reducing consumption of sweets, snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages and eating meals suited to the child’s age
- Physical activity – increasing family activity and reducing non-active pastimes and screen time
- Emotional/mental health – improving family emotional wellbeing
The pioneer program was accompanied by a formative and conclusive assessment of the Research Center for Evaluation of Health Promotion Intervention Programs of the University of Haifa in collaboration with 'Tovanot'. The program was based on training of professionals and parents in ten community centers, with preference for communities on the social and/or geographical periphery. The communities were selected with the consent of the partners and accompanied by a formative and conclusive assessment.
The evaluation findings of the pilot phase that ended in December 2018 show a trend toward improving parents and professionals' perceptions, as well as target behaviors.
The program's activity is suspended at this stage.