Hope for Stronger Families: building family savings and parenting support in Uganda
Official title: Suubi(Hope)4StrongerFamilies: Addressing Child Behavioral Health by Strengthening Financial Stability and Parenting among Families in Uganda
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11285374 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps families in Uganda build savings and strengthen parenting to improve children's behavior and mental health, especially where HIV and poverty are common.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | April 25, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $334,488 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH128905-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285374 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Caregivers and their children or adolescents in Uganda—particularly families affected by poverty or HIV and those noticing behavioral or emotional problems—are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live near participating community sites in Uganda, those without caregiving responsibilities for children, or children needing urgent psychiatric care are unlikely to benefit directly from joining this program.
What this research studies
You and your children would join community-based groups where families learn practical money-saving strategies, get economic supports, and practice parenting skills together. The program combines economic empowerment (helping families save and access resources) with family-strengthening sessions delivered through local child- and family-serving organizations. Researchers will follow children and caregivers over time to see how these combined supports change behavior, family stress, and wellbeing. The team focuses on approaches that can be scaled across communities in Uganda and similar settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce disruptive behavior in children, improve family stability, and lower the long-term harms linked to poverty and HIV exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Related economic-strengthening and family-support programs in Uganda and East Africa have shown promise for youth wellbeing, though combining these approaches specifically to target childhood disruptive behaviors is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mckay, Mary Mckernan — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mckay, Mary Mckernan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Enhancing Parenting Support in Peer Recovery Programs
Aimed at helping parents who are recovering from substance use improve parenting with tailored training and ongoing support.
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Hope for Stronger Families: improving children's behavior by boosting family finances and parenting in Uganda
This project combines family savings and parenting support programs to help Ugandan families improve children's behavior and well-being.
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Hope for Stronger Families: supporting family finances and parenting to help children's behavior in Uganda
This project combines savings and economic support with group parenting help to improve children's behavior and family wellbeing in Uganda.
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Bundle of nutrition, parenting, and health support to boost young children’s development
A group of researchers will test whether adding nutritious foods and responsive caregiving to health services helps children aged 6–30 months grow and develop better.
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Linking Daily Parental Experiences to Kids' Self-Regulation Growth in Preschoolers
This grant aims to understand how everyday parental experiences and stress influence preschoolers’ ability to manage emotions and behavior over time.
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Prevention of Maternal Depression Across 25 Years in Diverse Contexts with a Parenting Support Program
A long-term study in low-income families will explore how mothers’ depression changes over 25 years and whether a family-focused parenting program can help reduce depressive symptoms.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.