Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P) is an attachment-theory-informed program for parents of infants and young children. Designed for scalability, COS-P has been widely adopted internationally. Evidence for the program's effectiveness is limited, however, restricting capacity to make informed decisions about program allocation, and threatening ongoing program funding. To help address this evidence gap, this qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of 20 COS-P facilitators and 14 parent recipients in Australia, where COS-P uptake has been particularly widespread. Thematic analysis of combined interview and focus group data revealed a perception that COS-P primarily changes the lens through which parents view (a) their child, (b) themselves in the parenting role, and (c) the parent–child relationship, and that this was a pathway to increased empathy, compassion, and parenting confidence. Participants identified four components that underpinned program impact: key content, skills practice, group processes, and facilitator support. Although COS-P was considered suitable for broad application, limitations were noted. Findings can guide clinical application of COS-P and inform empirical research.

中文翻译：

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家长和从业者对安全育儿圈 (COS-P) 的看法：一项定性研究

安全育儿圈 (COS-P) 是一项针对婴幼儿父母的依恋理论知情计划。COS-P 专为可扩展性而设计，已在国际上广泛采用。然而，该计划有效性的证据有限，限制了就计划分配做出明智决定的能力，并威胁到正在进行的计划资助。为帮助解决这一证据差距，这项定性研究探讨了澳大利亚 20 位 COS-P 促进者和 14 位家长接受者的经验和看法，在澳大利亚，COS-P 的吸收尤为普遍。结合访谈和焦点小组数据的专题分析揭示了一种看法，即 COS-P 主要改变父母看待 (a) 孩子，(b) 自己在养育角色中的视角，以及 (c) 亲子关系，并且这是增加同理心、同情心和育儿信心的途径。参与者确定了支持计划影响的四个组成部分：关键内容、技能实践、小组流程和促进者支持。尽管 COS-P 被认为适用于广泛的应用，但也注意到了局限性。研究结果可以指导 COS-P 的临床应用并为实证研究提供信息。