The ‘Prem-STARS’ Program Survey: Assessing needs and preferences of parents of very preterm children around the transition to school

A significant proportion of very premature (VP) children exhibit difficulties in school readiness, which has flow-on effects on school engagement and academic achievement, and contributes to ongoing disadvantage in later years. The transition to school is a time at which parents are motivated to seek support and advice for child health and development concerns; however, there is currently no universally-available evidence-based intervention program to support parents of VP children at this critical point in their child’s development. This project aims to address a significant problem for VP children and their families by exploring parents’ perspectives on child, parent and family needs and preferences for support around the transition to school. Results from this project will inform the future development of an online intervention program for parents of VP children.