Qualitative Research and Professional Practice ‐ Evaluation of the Hy Vong Moi (New Hope) Program

This paper reports on an evaluation of the ‘Hy Vong Moi’ (New Hope) program aimed at providing emotional, physical and cultural support to new parents of Vietnamese origin living in the Greater Dandenong area, Melbourne, Australia, and who are experiencing problems relating to drug use within their families. Six young Australian Vietnamese women participated in the program. Data were collected via questionnaires, focus groups, diaries and the case worker’s journal. Analysis was ongoing in keeping with a participatory research approach. All the women who participated in the program, involving the setting up of a parents/mothers playgroup as well as provision of education and support, reported very positively on the program. All agreed that the formal help they received had made an enormous difference in their lives and was assisting them to integrate into Australian culture with potentially positive benefits for their children. The additional support through the parents/mothers playgroup allowed formation of new friendships, the sharing of experiences and the acquisition of new skills, including parenting skills. All wanted the program and the parents/mothers playgroup to continue as a means of providing further assistance to them and others.