AVANCE Family Support and Education Program
Contact: Mercedes Perez de Colon
Vice President of Program Services and Development
AVANCE, Inc.
301 S. Frio, Suite 310
San Antonio, TX 78207
Tel: (210) 270-4630
Fax: (210) 270-4612
Main Purpose: To stabilize and strengthen parent-child relationships, stimulate success in school, and strengthen the parental role as an advocate for the child
Target Group: At-risk parents with children under age 4, especially Hispanic parents
Description: AVANCE consists of 27 lessons taught over a month-long period covering the role of parents in children's development: cognitive, physical, social, and emotional. The program includes an emphasis on language development and effective discipline. In one class, parents are taught to make toys that teach their pre-schoolers skills and concepts through play. A community resources class teaches parents how to access needed services. Services that support participation include home visits, transportation, and child care while parents attend classes. Classes are held for fathers in the evenings. Parents can take ESOL classes, GED, and college-level classes. The program is located in three Texas communities serving over 6,000 parents and children annually.
(Sources: National Network for Family Resiliency program descriptions,
and The CICC Parent Training and Family Life Catalog, 2nd edition)
Effective Black Parenting Program (EBPP)
Contact: Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for the Improvement of Child Caring
11331 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 103
Studio City, CA 91604-3147
Tel: (818) 980-0903; also Hank Spala at (800) 325-CICC
Fax: (818) 753-1054
Purpose: Foster family communication and combat juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and other negative outcomes
Target: African American parents of children ages 2 through 12
Description: EBPP is a cognitive-behavioral program specifically created for African American parents that seeks to foster effective family communication, healthy identity, extended family values, child growth and development, and self-esteem. The program facilitates efforts to combat child abuse, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, gang violence, learning disorders, behavior problems, and emotional disturbances.
EBPP is based on a prosocial achievement orientation to African American parenting that recognizes the special pressures in inner-city communities that make it difficult for parents to maintain this orientation.
Its basic ideas are derived from the writings of African American parenting scholars, from research with African American parents, and from adaptations of parenting skills that have been found helpful in raising children of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The program has two possible formats: a class with 15 3-hour training sessions that emphasize role playing and home behavior projects, and a 1-day seminar for large groups. Black educators and mental health professionals teach basic child management skills using culturally appropriate methods. Each of the parenting strategies and skills is taught by making reference to African proverbs such as "Children are the reward of life," and "A shepherd does not strike his sheep." Systematic use of these proverbs helps to ground the program in the wisdom of African ancestors, and is one of the many ways that the program promotes cultural pride.
Interactive groups address topics including appropriate and inappropriate behavior, discipline, pride, coping with racism, African-origin family values, preventing drug abuse, and single parenting. Two companion programs for the general population of parents and for Latino parents are available.
Evaluation: EBPP was field tested on two cohorts
of parents and their first- and second-grade children. Pre-post changes
were compared in a quasi-experimental design with 109 treatment and 64
control families. Significant reduction of parental rejection was
observed, along with improvements in the quality of family relationships
and child behaviors. At 1-year followup, reductions in rejection
and problem behaviors were maintained. Both the long and short versions
have been well received in African American communities nationwide, and
1,500 instructors have been trained and are delivering the programs.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Families and Schools Together (FAST)
Contact: Linda Wheeler
Family Service America
11700 West Lake Park Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53224-3099
Tel: (800) 221-3726
Fax: (414) 359-1074
Main Purpose: To prevent school failure, enhance family functioning, prevent familial substance abuse, and reduce stress
Target Group: Parents of children who are at risk for substance abuse and other problems
Description: FAST is a collaborative program that attempts to reduce causal factors related to the above-mentioned problems by starting with young children and using a family-based model. Children (ages 4 through 9) who display behavior problems (at school or at home), poor self-esteem, short attention span, and hyperactivity are targeted by teachers for this multifamily program. National replication of two new adaptations for early childhood and middle school children began in 1997. The multilevel prevention curriculum applies decades of research funded and published by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from psychology, psychiatry, family therapy, family stress, social support, and community organizing.
The core of the program involves eight weekly multifamily meetings usually held in schools, during which positive experiences in family interaction are facilitated by a collaborative leadership team. The team has at least four members: a parent partner, a school partner, a community-based mental health partner, and a community-based substance abuse prevention partner. Each session features the following key elements: a shared family meal, communication games played at a family table, time for couples, a self-help parent group, one-to-one quality play, and a fixed door prize that each family wins once. The program attempts to strengthen bonds within families, among families, and between family and community.
At the end of 8 weeks, families graduate from the program and participate in monthly followup meetings, FASTWORKS, for 2 years. The program develops a support network that empowers the parents to be the primary prevention agents for their own children. FAST collaborates with schools, parents, and not-for-profit human service agencies to strengthen the family's internal bonds as well as its bonds with the school and the community. The followup meetings are run by parent graduate volunteers, with backup support from the collaborative leadership team.
Evaluation: Evaluation results after 8 weeks
show statistically significant improvements in the child's classroom and
home behaviors and self-esteem, in family closeness, and in parent involvement
in school. Social isolation is reduced. Followup data suggest
that children continue to improve and some parents self-refer for counseling
and substance abuse treatment, get jobs, go back to school, and attend
community events. Long-term evaluation indicates that these gains
are maintained and that the program facilitates the families' development
of connections with the community. FAST is now active in 25 States;
Washington, DC; and Canada.
(Source: Description provided by Family Service America, Inc.)
Main Purpose: To prevent substance abuse
Target Group: Parents of pre-teens (8 through 12 years)
Description: Designed to help parents develop a better understanding of how they can help children avoid or stop substance abuse, the program is based on research indicating the effectiveness of strategies such as building effective communication, setting limits, and close family bonding. The main components of the program are a videotape, followup discussion, and related exercises. The detailed facilitator's guide contains three presentation formats: Two are intended for delivery to parent groups, and one is for community groups. The program was developed at Purdue University in 1992 by V. L. Spurlock and colleagues including Dena Targ.
Evaluation: Pre- and post-evaluation questionnaires are
available from Dena Targ at the address above.
(Source: C. Smith et al., 1994. National Extension Parent
Education Model of Critical Parenting Practices)
Contact: Kevin Haggerty, M.S.W.
Social Development Research Group
146 North Canal, Suite 211
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: (206) 685-1997
Fax: (206) 543-4507
Main Purpose: Reduce parents' risk for relapse, cope with relapse incidents, reduce drug use episodes. Increase family management skills. Reduce child risk factors and increase protective factors; decrease incidence of substance abuse among children.
Target Group: Addicted parents of children ages 3 through 14
Description: Most appropriate for parents enrolled in methadone treatment, and who have had at least 90 days of treatment prior to beginning the program. Families participate in a 5-hour family retreat to learn about the curriculum, identify goals, and participate in trust-building activities. This is followed by 32 sessions of 90 minutes each, held twice weekly for 16 weeks. Sessions are held in the mornings for parents, with practice sessions in the evening for parents and children together. Topics covered include family goal setting, relapse prevention, communication skills, management skills, family expectations about substance use, teaching skills to children, and helping kids succeed at school. Sessions and followup home care are provided by master's-level therapists.
Evaluation: Parent outcomes: The experimental group
had higher scores than controls on all skill measures (e.g., problem solving,
self-efficacy, social support). The experimental group had fewer
deviant peers than the control group. They reported a 65 percent
reduction in heroin use frequency compared to controls and were six times
less likely to use cocaine in the last month than the control group.
Child outcomes showed no significant differences between experimental and
control children in drug use or delinquency.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Main Purpose: To enable parents to assist their children with the challenges of growing up in the U.S.
Target Group: Latino parents
Description: Written by Drs. Lupita Montoya Tannatt and Kerby T. Alvy, the program is based on child-rearing research with Latino families and recommendations of nationally respected Latino educators and mental health specialists. Los Niños presents a wide range of basic child-rearing skills, along with "dichos" or Latino proverbs, used to make the learning and use of skills compatible with Latino cultural traditions. Parents learn how to praise effectively, to confront, to use family conversations, and to employ "time out" procedures. The program is widely used in schools, mental health and social service agencies, churches, and hospitals. It addresses school dropout prevention and drug and child abuse. The program is taught as a 12-session class for groups of parents, with the last session serving as a graduation celebration. In addition to basic program materials, an audiocasette presentation is available for instructors.
Evaluation: The initial field testing of the program in the 1980s was with newly immigrated Latino families, and it was found to be highly successful. Participating parents perceived their relationships with their kindergarten children as being either better or much better, whereas parents who did not attend the classes saw their relationships with their children as being the same or getting worse over a comparable time period. Children's behavior improvements were reported by parents and confirmed by teachers' reports. Los Niños Bien Educados is now being used nationwide with a variety of Latino Americans. It has become the centerpiece of parent involvement programs in numerous school districts, as well as serving as part of dropout prevention projects. The program is also being used by a variety of communities as part of their efforts to combat poor outcomes for youth.
(Source: The CICC Parent Training and Family Life Catalog, 2nd
edition, and
http://www.ciccparenting.org/losninos.html)
Main Purpose: To strengthen families by improving the quality of parenting in the U.S.
Target Group: Parents of newborns to 3-year-olds
Description: The program uses peer support groups to help strengthen families by reducing the social isolation that can lead to child abuse and neglect. Various program activities are undertaken to increase parents' knowledge of child development; to increase parents' ability to solve problems, make decisions, and manage family life; and to nurture parents' personal growth.
Support peer groups meet weekly or twice a month for a period of 2 years. Groups are facilitated by community volunteers who are carefully recruited, trained, and supervised by a local certified MELD professional. The curriculum encompasses health, child development, child guidance, family management, home and community safety, balancing work and family, and accessing community resources.
The basic program has been adapted for adolescent mothers and fathers, African American young mothers, Hispanic and Southeast Asian parents, deaf and hard-of-hearing parents, first-time adult parents, and parents of children with special needs. The curriculum and activities can be used by low-literacy audiences and address the concerns of low-income parents.
Evaluation: A MELD Young Moms program was studied
at seven sites and found to have resulted in a positive and significant
shift in attitudes and beliefs about parenting and nurturing children.
Some outcomes included more appropriate expectations in line with the child's
abilities; increased awareness of the child's needs and better response
to those needs; and reduced belief in the value of corporal punishment.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Main Purpose: To build nurturing skills as an alternative to abusive parenting and child-rearing attitudes and practices
Target Group: Families with children ages 0 through 19 at risk of abuse or neglect
Description: The program is based on a reparenting philosophy. Desired outcomes are to stop the generational cycle of child abuse, reduce recidivism, reduce juvenile delinquency and alcohol abuse, and reduce teen pregnancy.
Parents and children attend separate groups engaging in cognitive and affective activities that build awareness, self-esteem, and empathy. They learn alternatives to yelling and hitting, enhanced family communication patterns, and expectations that are realistic in terms of the child's stage of development.
The Nurturing Parenting Program includes 13 different versions that target specific age groups, cultures, and needs. For example, there are special programs for infants, school-aged children, and teens; Hispanics, Southeast Asians, and African Americans; and children with special learning needs and families in recovery. Group sessions are held weekly for 2 to 3 hours, and for a period of 12 to 45 weeks. Programs can be held in group sites or delivered in the home setting.
Evaluation: The initial program for parents of children
ages 4 through 12 has been extensively field tested and validated.
The evaluation studied 121 abusive adults and 150 abused children.
Following the program, significant improvement was noted in parenting attitudes,
personality characteristics of both parents and children, and family interactions.
Programs subsequently developed for other age groups are showing similar
outcomes, with significant pre-post changes in parenting attitudes and
child-rearing practices.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Main Purpose: Establish networks for working parents, improve parent/child relationships; help balance work and family life; improve corporate climate for workers; improve parents' skills in preventing substance abuse and other problems that occur in teen years
Target Group: Working parents of children ages birth through 18
Description: The program is presented at worksites during lunch hour. It addresses common issues such as balancing work and family, communication, discipline, learning styles, sibling relationships, sex role conditioning, substance abuse, and other issues. It also focuses on specific developmental issues: child care, tantrums, sleeping and eating patterns, communicating with school personnel, peer pressure, and establishing family policies regarding substance use. School performance, male/female relationships, and increasing levels of responsibilities as children grow older are also addressed.
Evaluation: A longitudinal study of 191 parents, using
a quasi-experimental design, showed that parents in a high-dosage group
reported significant and lasting changes in their child's behavior, and
rated children's behavior more positively. Their parenting practices
changed positively and punitiveness declined. Parental stress and
depression were reduced. Increases in substance abuse knowledge and
negative attitudes toward drug use were noted.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Main Purpose: Enhance family relationships and decrease conflict; enhance child adjustment and reduce problem behaviors including substance abuse
Target Group: Parents, especially low-literacy parents of at-risk children, ages 6 through 18
Description: Video programs that overcome illiteracy barriers are suitable for families who don't usually attend or finish parenting education classes. The interactive video format was chosen based on research showing its superiority to other forms including lecture, group discussion, and self-paced reading.
PAW is based on social learning theory, family systems theory, and cognitive theory. The effective parenting skills selected for focus in this program were chosen because of their general acceptance among experts as critical both to the formation of well adjusted children and adolescents and to the amelioration of the problems common to today's children and adolescents.
The program covers communication and problem-solving skills, respect, discipline and reinforcement, chore and homework responsibilities, supervising kids whose peers are a bad influence, step family problems, single-parent issues, violence, and other problems experienced by today's families. It can be delivered in one to two sessions lasting about 3 hours.
Parents view videotaped scenes of nine common family problems. For each problem, parents choose a solution. Some solutions result in a worsening of the situation, while others improve the situation. After the solution is played out, it is critiqued. The critiques are the meat of the program, for they point out errors parents made in that scene and explain why these errors led to more problems. The critiques also explain why the effective parenting solution is best, and each parent has an option to have the computer read the material aloud.
The program was developed to be used by parents totally unfamiliar with computers, as well as by more experienced audiences.
Evaluation: The efficacy of the PAW program is being thoroughly
evaluated by feedback from parents, teens, courts, and social service agencies.
User satisfaction is very high, as rated in five separate evaluation studies.
Parents find the program easy to use, realistic and relevant to their concerns,
helpful in dealing with children's problem behaviors, and helpful in building
their confidence. Parents with preteens and teens (many of whom are
delinquents) showing significant behavior problems were evaluated before
and after (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months) using the program.
They showed increased knowledge of parenting principles and skills, increased
use of the specific skills taught in the program, and reductions in problem
behaviors of their children. Reductions in child problem behaviors
were clinically significant in half of the children, and the children scored
in the normal range of behavior a month after parents used the program.
Most parents reported at least moderate improvement in children's behavior.
Using matched and randomly assigned control groups, evaluators found no
improvement or a worsening of behavior among children of the higher-risk
families. These treatment effects are very robust and comparable
to interventions taking at least five times longer and requiring trained
professionals to deliver.
(Sources: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions, and material
provided by the author)
Contact: Bill Oliver/John Clarkin
The Passage Group, formerly PRIDE Parent Training
1240 Johnson Ferry Place, Suite F10
Marietta, GA 30068
Tel: (800) 487-7743
Fax: (770) 565-4749
Purpose: Empower parents to counter influences of drug culture in the children's lives
Target: Parents of children of all ages
Description: Parent to Parent offers a unique approach in helping parents deal with the difficult issues of the 1990s. It is not a program that attempts to preach to parents about how to raise their children, nor does it attempt to impose its own standards or values upon parents. Instead, it is an interesting and dynamic video-based workshop designed to bring parents together for the purpose of helping their children through the challenging passage into adulthood. The content of Parent to Parent is contained in eight video sessions:
• The Me Within
• Put Yourself In The Way
• Awareness Is Your Best Friend
• Remember The Difference
• Expect and Inspect
• Never Cry Alone
• Take Time For Yourself
• When All Else Fails
Parent to Parent is designed to challenge the thinking of the participants. Each session of the program is conducted by a local facilitator who uses the video modules to convey information regarding issues such as alcohol and drug use, character development, communication skills, and more. The real power of Parent to Parent occurs when the facilitator has turned off the video module and leads the group in exercises and discussions. It is here that parents begin to internalize the information and develop a plan of action that fits the needs of their individual families. Groups engage in discussions regarding a wide range of topics including
• Establishing and communicating a family belief system
• Developing a trustworthy child
• Understanding the difference between consequences and
punishment
• Recognizing the signs of alcohol or drug use
• Setting realistic expectations
Evaluation: Communities conduct their own evaluations.
Evaluations have been completed in Montgomery County, Maryland; Syracuse,
New York; Cobb County, Georgia; and Spartanburg, South Carolina, among
others. Results in Spartanburg show that after training, parents
were significantly more aware of the harmful effects of drugs on youngsters,
made more use of good parenting skills, became more aware of the presence
of drugs in their children's environment, and observed positive changes
in children's attitudes.
(Source: National Network for Family Resiliency Parenting Special
Interest Group)
Contact: Holly De Maranville
Program Representative
130 Nickerson Street, Suite 107
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: (800) 736-2630
Main Purpose: Reducing risks of drug abuse and other behavioral problems
Target Group: Parents of children in grades 4 through 9
Description: PDFY is designed for use before children begin experimenting with drugs. Its focus is on family relations, family management practices, and family conflict resolution. Parents acquire the skills to reduce children's risk factors for drug abuse. They also learn the principles of social development strategy to strengthen family bonding.
PDFY features two volunteer workshop leaders, one of whom is a parent, who deliver the program in five 2-hour sessions or ten 1-hour sessions. Parents learn to increase children's opportunities for family involvement, teach needed skills, and provide reinforcement and consequences for behavior. Discussion topics include: the nature of the problem, reducing risks by strengthening family bonds, conduct of family meetings, fostering of communication, establishing a family position on drugs, reinforcing refusal skills, anger management, and creating a parent support network. PDFY is based on the research of Hawkins, Catalano, and colleagues on risk and protective factors for adolescent substance abuse.
Evaluation: An evaluation in rural Iowa, employing an experimental,
longitudinal design, showed improvement in parenting behavior, general
child management, and parent-child affective quality for parents in the
intervention group. Some results are available from an experimental
study with followup assessments, also in rural Iowa.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Contact: Dr. Rose Alvarado
Department of Health Promotion and Education
University of Utah
300 S. 1850 E, Room 215
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0920
Tel: (801) 581-8498
Fax: (801) 581-5872
Main Purpose: To reduce risk factors for substance abuse and other problem behaviors
Target Group: High-risk children of substance abusers; families with children ages 6 through 10
Description: SFP builds on protective factors by improving family relationships, parenting skills, and improving the youth's social and life skills. Modifications of the original program have been made for various target groups. Originally developed for children of high-risk substance abusers, the program is also widely used for general audiences. SFP provides 14 weekly meetings of 2 to 3 hours in length. Three separate courses are offered: Parent Training, Children's Skills Training, and Family Life Skills Training. Parents learn how to gain the child's attention and reinforce positive behavior; they also acquire skill in communication, substance use education, problem solving, limit setting, and maintenance. Kids learn communication, understanding feelings, social skills, problem solving, resisting peer pressure, substance use issues, and rule compliance. Families jointly practice therapeutic child play and conduct weekly meetings to address issues and plan activities. Incentives to participation include transportation, child care, and family meals.
Evaluation: Numerous evaluations have been done. Results based on pre-post and 6-month followup show that the three-component design is powerful. SFP improved risk status in 1) children's problem behaviors, emotional status, and prosocial skills; 2) parents' parenting skills; and 3) family environment and functioning. Positive results were noted in family relationships and organization, increased family cohesion, and reduced conflict. Better sibling relationships, family-oriented activities, and clarity of rules were seen, and less social isolation of parents was found. Also, parents reported decreases in drug use, depression, and use of corporal punishment, and increased parental efficacy. Children were less impulsive, behaved more appropriately at home and school, and reported less intent to use drugs.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University
of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions)
Main Purpose: To reduce drug/alcohol use, teen suicide, juvenile delinquency, gang involvement, child abuse, and domestic violence
Target Group: Ethnic and culturally diverse parents of children ages 3 through 18
Description: This program integrates various proven prevention/intervention strategies that reduce violence against self, the family, and the community. Its short-term objectives are to increase the parents' sense of competence; the positive interactions and relationships among the family, the parents, and the children; the child's self-esteem, self-discipline, and social competency; and the involvement of parents in community activities. Parent training classes are held in churches, schools, community agencies, and other locations. The program includes 12 3-hour sessions taught in consecutive weeks. Five major components are cultural/spiritual values, rites of passage, positive discipline, enhancing relationships, and family/community violence and community involvement. Materials are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. A Russian translation is in progress.
Evaluation: A pre-post evaluation design is available.
Evaluation data from 22 parent groups (n=357) show significant improvement
in parents' sense of competence, family/parent/child interaction, and child
competence and behavior. Program participation helped increase parent
involvement in community and school activities. Other reports offer
evidence that the program helps parents meet child-rearing challenges,
promotes family and community bonding, promotes pride in cultural heritage,
and reduces life-threatening risks for children.
(Source: Strengthening America's Families Project, University of Utah, Model Family Strengthening Program Descriptions; information provided by program)