Hope for Stronger Families: improving children's behavior by boosting family finances and parenting 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-11503825 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines family savings and parenting support programs to help Ugandan families improve children's behavior and well-being.
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) | $13,556 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH128905-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11503825 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families in Uganda with children or adolescents who have behavioral problems, especially those experiencing poverty, food insecurity, or HIV-related challenges, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Families living outside the participating Ugandan communities or those unable or unwilling to join community-based savings and parenting programs are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
You and your family would join community-based programs that teach saving, provide economic supports, and strengthen parenting skills delivered in group settings. The project targets children with disruptive behavioral problems and families facing poverty, HIV, food insecurity, and stigma. Researchers will follow participating families over time to see how the combined financial and family-strengthening activities change child behavior and family functioning. The approach uses locally adapted interventions and works through existing child- and family-serving community organizations to enable wider reach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this combined approach could reduce disruptive behavior in children and improve family stability, health, and long-term outcomes in affected Ugandan communities.
How similar studies have gone: Related savings and parenting interventions in low-income settings have shown promising results, but combining them at community scale in Sub-Saharan Africa is relatively novel.
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
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Hope for Stronger Families: supporting family finances and parenting to help children's behavior in Uganda
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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.