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Enhancing Family-Centered Practice in GoBabyGo: Development and Evaluation of a Volunteer Training Program

Peyton Throw, OTS

Theresa Carlson Carroll, OTD, OTR/L, CLA

Reva Johnson, PhD

Introduction

Independent mobility is essential for early childhood development because it supports motor, cognitive, and social growth (Huang & Galloway, 2012; Logan et al., 2016). GoBabyGo helps address this need by providing modified ride-on vehicles that promote early powered mobility in an accessible and cost-effective way (Huang et al., 2014; Logan et al., 2017a). However, several barriers may limit long-term success and participation outcomes (Logan et al., 2020; Restrepo et al., 2021).

  • Inconsistent caregiver and volunteer training
  • Variability in program implementation
  • Limited standardized guidelines

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This doctoral capstone project addressed these gaps by creating a family-centered training and implementation resource for GoBabyGo programs. The project aimed to improve volunteer preparation, strengthen caregiver support, promote consistent delivery processes, and enhance long-term use of mobility devices in everyday routines.

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Family-centered volunteer training improves confidence, consistency, and communication which enhances the overall experience for GoBabyGo families.

Methods

This capstone used a program development and evaluation approach informed by family-centered care and occupational therapy frameworks, including the PEOP and HAAT models (Baum et al., 2015; Cook & Polgar, 2020).

Project Components

Six-module volunteer training program:

  • Family-Centered Care
  • Communication with Families
  • Therapeutic Use of Self
  • Volunteer Roles and Expectations
  • Interprofessional Collaboration
  • Supporting Participation During Events

Additional resources:

  • Systems-Level Implementation Guide
  • Pre- and Post-Training Surveys

Evaluation

  • Content expert review
  • Matched volunteer surveys (n = 8)
  • Survey data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

Key Findings

Content expert ratings indicated strong quality and alignment with best practices, while volunteer survey data demonstrated positive trends across all items. Qualitative feedback further supported these findings, highlighting increased confidence, improved role clarity, and stronger communication. Statistical significance was not reached, likely due to the small sample size; however, the positive trends noted are encouraging for future outcome measures.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates that structured, family-centered volunteer training:

  • Improves confidence and preparedness
  • Supports more consistent and effective interactions
  • Enhances overall program quality

Next steps include: continuing implementation with larger volunteer groups, collect additional data to strengthen outcomes, integrate training into standard onboarding, and expanding resources for caregivers and other GoBabyGo programs.

Purpose

This capstone aimed to develop and evaluate a structured volunteer training program to:

  • Enhance family-centered practice
  • Improve volunteer preparedness
  • Increase consistency within GoBabyGo programming

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