The Mom Power Program to Support Single Moms

Last Updated on January 18, 2024 by Lori Pace

Mom Power is a Strong Roots program that offers a 10-week, 13 session treatment. It uses a proven and innovative curriculum to address trauma-related barriers to healthy relationships, support and engagement with resources. This program is based on evidence-based theory, practice, and it is the only program that has documented brain changes in participants’ “empathy circuits”.

Preschool through adulthood are crucial years for the health and development of children and their families. These years can be difficult for families, as many have to deal with mental health issues, trauma, adversity and inequalities.

What is Mom Power?

While parenting a young child can be one of life’s most rewarding and joyous experiences, it can also be one that is challenging. Mom Power is a strengths-based program for mothers with young children who are facing stress and adversity. It uses attachment theory, cognitive behavior, and dialectical strategies to foster growth and develop new skills. The intervention’s multigenerational approach is a strength. It facilitates mothers’ reflections and fosters emotional health.

The Mom Power Pillars

Social Supports

Social support can be enhanced by sharing group experiences, which offer opportunities for information and relationship building during shared mealtimes. Mothers are also encouraged to invite guests.

Attachment-Based Parenting Skills

The Parenting Education curriculum emphasizes sensitivity and responsiveness to young children’s needs. Participants will learn the basics of parenting and child development. They will also be able to observe and apply video interactions.

CBT and DBT-based self-care skills, stress reduction, and mindfulness

Self-Care/Stress-Reduction addresses the mothers’ needs for hands-on strategies for reducing their own levels of stress and to help support optimal mental health in order to provide balanced parenting and support their children’s needs.

Parent-Child Interactions

A curriculum is designed to support parent-child interactions. It emphasizes the importance of creating predictable, safe routines. In vivo coaching is provided to mothers on how to reunite with their children and when they should separate. Mothers are encouraged “to try something new”, to anticipate, observe, and reflect on these experiences.

Connections to ongoing care and community resources

Connecting Families To Care offers a warm and safe transfer of services, including individual 

What Does the Program Do?

The program is best for mothers who are experiencing extreme stress levels or have had to deal with trauma and other adversity.

• Reduction in depression, PTSD symptoms and parenting stress.
• Decrease in social isolation
• Feel more confident and comfortable parenting.
• Increase in their understanding of the motivations and behaviors of their children.
• Mom Power graduates make up two thirds of the ongoing care in the community.
• Greater ability to respond to and reflect on their emotions and those of their children.
• Brain imaging studies have shown that participants activate more empathy circuits when they observe their children’s emotions. Mom Power is the first program to record functional changes in the mother’s brain.

Mom Power Formats

Mom Power was designed to be easily accessible to moms, communities, and agencies. There are three delivery options:

The Full Mom Power Module

Multifamily group that meets 10 times per week and has three sessions each with participants. This group is able to deliver the curriculum with complete model fidelity. Child Team can be used as a therapeutic and productive adjunct to Mom Power. However, the can also be modified to deliver to mothers who are pregnant or under circumstances that make it impossible to deliver the Child Team component.

Principles and Practices

You can incorporate the core concepts of Mom Power, strengths-based attachment theory, infant psychological health, and DBT into any program that involves moms from pregnancy to six. Multiple agencies and programs can use the Mom Power principles and practices (e.g. Home visiting, community health workers, and clinical providers). To build resilience and improve parenting and relationship skills.

“Lunch and Learn” for moms and/ or providers

A ‘la carte’ menu of interactive workshops that deliver Mom Power principles to moms and professionals. These modules are to supplement programs for moms (e.g. Treatment for SUD, Psychotherapy Groups, etc. or for professional development.

Training

These options are available as part of the training: 

Mom Power Full Model: 

Three-day in-person training with two specialized trainers

Includes:

• Pre-training materials
• Three full days of curriculum training
• Child Team implementation training
• Digital versions of training materials provided to participants

Mom Power Principles and Practices: 

1-day in-person training by a specialized trainer

Includes:

• Core concepts of Mom Power
• Interactive training on integrating the program Principles and Practices into your agency or program

Training can vary to help meet your needs.

Lunch and Learn Modules

Includes:

• 1- to 4-hour web-based or in-person training modules, tailored to site interest and need
• Materials provided