NCJ Number
160446
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A parent education and family support program that operated in 37 school districts in Missouri during its second wave was evaluated with respect to outcomes for the child, parent, and parent-child interactions for different types of families based on the mother's educational level, whether the family had one or two parents, minority status, and poverty.
Abstract
Participants were selected through stratified sampling of 1,627 of the approximately 2,500 enrolled in the program; the 1,627 families had children whose third birthdays fell within the testing window. Four hundred families were randomly selected for participation in the study. Results supported earlier program findings that parents overwhelmingly prefer a parent education and family support program primarily based on home visits focused on the family's needs. Participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with the program. Parents in all types of families became significantly more knowledgeable about child development and child-rearing practices. Program children at age 3 scored significantly above the national norms on measures of school-related achievement even though their families were overrepresented on traditional risk factors. The program was also successful in maintaining the frequent home visits provided by the earlier program. The program was particularly successful for families with children identified with developmental delays and whose parents demonstrated poor parent-child communication.