Comfort Consults, LLC
 
          Find out how you can be certified to use KIPS
                             We are eager and ready to help you!
                                                                                        See the KIPS Family
                                                                                                                            Order online for faster service
                                                                                                                                           Manage Your KIPS Acount
 
WHAT IS KIPS?
KIPS is a convenient, reliable, evidence-based tool to effectively measure parenting behaviors. Family service programs commonly aim to enhance parenting to promote children’s development. However, few programs directly assess parenting behavior. By assessing parenting, you can tailor services to individual families, track parenting progress, and document program outcomes.
 

 

KIPS FEATURES

  • 12 parenting behaviors linked to child
      development research
  • 12 behaviors endorsed by providers as
      meaningful for intervention
  • Validated with Caregivers of
     children 2 - 71 months old
  • High inter-rater reliability
  • High internal consistency
  • Proven validity
  • Fast to Use: Observe 20 min + Score 10 min
  • Available in English and Spanish

 

What Parenting Behaviors Are Assessed?

1.    Sensitivity of Responses
2.    Supports Emotions
3.    Physical Interaction
4.    Involvement in Child’s Activities
5.    Open to Child’s Agenda
6.    Engagement in
       Language Experiences
7.    Reasonable Expectations
8.    Adapts Strategies to Child
9.    Limits & Consequences
10.  Supportive Directions
11.  Encouragement
12.  Promotes Exploration & Curiosity
 

 

Using KIPS
Since KIPS is used to observe caregiver-child play, it is well
received by families and children. KIPS assesses a caregiver
(e.g. parent, other family member) interacting with a child.
The observation requires only 20 minutes (15 minutes of free
play and 5 minutes of clean up, if appropriate). Scoring takes
only 10 minutes. To assure reliability, we recommend that
you videotape the play session and score later.


Brief KIPS Overview

As a clinician working with 0-5 year olds, I LOVED this parenting assessment. It is so useful for treatment planning and intervention. Hopefully, I will get to share knowledge of it with some of my colleagues who work in community mental health. They are always looking for relatively "easy" parenting assessments that can incorporate measurable and observable goals.

 

 

What Does KIPS Look Like?
All 12 KIPS items use 1 to 5 quality ratings with behavioral anchors

scale
Training and annual
online recertification
are required to use KIPS
see the KIPS Training page



KIPS was the missing piece in our initial assessment. . . .We are a group of three Infant Mental Health Specialists who long waited for the tool you created. It’s comprehensive, easy to administer, balanced between strength and need focus, and effective for case formulation and monitoring.
   
 

   What Can You Do With KIPS?

  • Guide staff observations
  • Assess parenting strengths and needs
  • Tailor services to each caregiver and child
  • Guide parenting education
  • Provide a common language for staff
  • Monitor family progress
  • Evaluate program outcomes
KIPS Purpose and Background    

I was surprised. I saw things in the families I didn’t realize. It made me change my whole lesson plan. The [parents] that I thought were going to score low really surprised me.  My mouth was open when I saw the scores, and this was both ways - both high and low.
Who Uses KIPS?
  • Healthy Families
  • Parents As Teachers
  • First Steps
  • Early Head Start
  • Child Abuse Prevention
  • Mental Health Services
  • Family Resource Centers
  • WIC
  • Family Literacy
  • Family Therapists
  • and other private practitioners