Resources addressing the engagement and retention of families in parent education, home visitation, and other types of prevention programs.

Can Social Networking Be Used to Promote Engagement in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs? Two Pilot Studies
Edwards-Gaura, Whitaker, & Self-Brown (2014)
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 15(5)
Explores the idea of using technology and behavioral parent training programs in maltreatment prevention. The project tested the use of Facebook and other social media to enhance participation and supplement a parenting program.

Elements of Effective Parenting Programs and Strategies for Increasing Program Participation and Retention
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2016)
In Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0–8
Discusses approaches that have led to success in increasing parents' participation and retention in programs. It also provides strategies for doing so.

Five Strategies for Successful Recruitment and Retention of Children and Families in Human Service Programs (PDF - 5,170 KB)
Barnes-Proby, Schultz, Jaycox, & Ayer (2017)
RAND Corporation
Identifies the challenges of engaging children and families in human services programs. It  provides steps for recruiting and retaining families and developing a comprehensive plan  through five strategies. The toolkit, which is intended for clinicians, practitioners, and program administrators, also includes templates, forms, and other resources to help develop activities for each strategy.

Understanding Program Engagement and Attrition in Child Abuse Prevention
Beasley, Silovsky, Ridings, Smith, & Owora (2014)
Journal of Family Strengths, 14(1)
Addresses the challenge of program engagement and attrition through a study that tests the Integrated Theory of Parent Involvement, which proposes that multiple factors affect the enrollment and retention of parents in home-based services.