Strengthening the Parent-Child Relationship Through Urban Nature

Study site:

We selected communities in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai (part of Yuen Long), and Tuen Mun due to their low socio-economic status and high child poverty rates. These areas have constantly high number of reported child abuse cases in the past ten years where Tuen Mun was the top in 2016. Moreover, the three communities all have large public parks which are ideal locations to provide exposure to nature settings as well as accessible for the families to join the activities. In this study, the families can develop a habit of spending regular time in their neighbourhood parks in the future.

Target population:

The target groups include low-income families with young children, families of SEN children, single-parent families, families with poor parenting skills or other families in need. We will partner with local NGOs to recruit these families in need. Priority will be given to low-income families supported by the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme of The Student Finance Office, as well as families receiving CSSA. In the meantime, our public education resources will also benefit teachers and social workers from NGO service units or kindergartens as they utilize the tools to carry out Nature Healing activities with their users. Family members of stressed families will also directly benefit, as the improved well-being of one member leads to more harmonious family relationships. As families share their experiences, neighbours and friends can indirectly benefit and may potentially be recruited to become new participants in the programme. A total of 100 low-income families will be recruited and randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group (50 families per group). All participants will be required to provide informed consent before taking part in the study.

Procedure: