Action in Childcare Settings training programme: development of an evidence-based training programme for the prevention of child maltreatment.

The intervention is a train-the-trainer programme for childcare practitioners aimed at preventing the maltreatment of young children in Québec. The content of the programme was determined based on systematic reviews of published evidence on the issue. A number of training sessions were subsequently offered to practitioners in the targeted settings and rigorously evaluated. Lessons learned included: the importance of a needs assessment for adequate knowledge transfer to end users; train-the-trainers programmes are effective for transferring evidence to large groups; and training participants' perception of the value of evidence depends on the confidence inspired by those who transmit it.