Supporting Parents and Family Services (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

4.9.2025 9.30 - 14.30 Mentalization
11.9.2025 9.30 -14.30 Let’s talk about children
18.9.2025 9.30 - 11.30 Let’s talk about children –network
25.9.2025 9.30 - 10.30 Exam and 11.00 - 15.00 Let’s talk about children

Objective

• you understand the importance of early interaction between an infant and its parents and know how to strengthen it
• you understand risk factors related to the lives and well-being of families with children
• you have knowledge of family services
• you have knowledge of family-oriented counselling methods

Content

• early interaction, mentalisation and parent-infant bonding
• children’s development environments, an ecocultural perspective
• the basic services for families with children, social welfare and child protection support measures, third-sector services, service counselling
• the Let’s talk about children method

Materials

Lecture materials
Articles in Itslearning
Minding the Child : Mentalization-Based Interventions with Children, Young People and Their Families, Chapter 1 (pages 11-32). e-book in library

Teaching methods

Individual work, pair work, group work
Literature-based, lecture-based and learning assignment-based work

Exam schedules

Exam 25.9.2025 9.30 -10.30

Pedagogic approaches and sustainable development

Presence in contact teaching is obligatory. In all cases of absence, a compensative assignment must be completed (instructions in Itslearning). Max. amount absence is 50 % of the contact teaching.

Student workload

Contact teaching and interview assignment 3 ECTS
Exam 2 ECTS

Failed (0)

Student does not submit assignments by the deadline.
• You understand the importance of early interaction between the child and parents and know how to strengthen it.
• You understand the risk factors related to the well-being and living environment of families with children.
• You are familiar with family services.
• You know family-centered guidance methods and techniques.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

• The student has submitted the assignments for the period by the deadline.
• The student recognizes the importance of early interaction between the child and parents and recognizes the need to strengthen it in their own work.
• The student recognizes the risk factors related to the well-being and living environment of families with children.
• The student is somewhat familiar with family services.
• The student can list family-centered guidance methods and techniques.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

• The student has submitted the assignments for the period by the deadline.
• The student knows the importance of early interaction between the child and parents and knows the principles to strengthen it in their own work.
• The student describes the risk factors related to the well-being and living environment of families with children.
• The student is familiar with family services.
• The student knows family-centered guidance methods and techniques.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

• The student has submitted the assignments for the period by the deadline.
• The student understands the importance of early interaction between the child and parents and can apply various methods to strengthen the interaction.
• The student can describe the risk factors related to the well-being and living environment of families with children.
• The student is widely familiar with family services and can guide parents to the necessary services.
• The student can use family-centered guidance methods and techniques.

Qualifications

Students can start optional customer group-specific studies when they have completed at least 60 credits.

The modules in early childhood education must be completed in order: first the basic studies (Module 1) and then the advanced studies (Module 2). Exceptions can be made if it is justified from the perspective of the student’s personal study plan (HOPS) and the student has at least one year of work experience in early childhood education tasks in Finland or previous higher education studies in early childhood education that have been accredited in their studies at Turku University of Applied Sciences.