Parent education programs focus on enhancing parenting practices and behaviors, such as developing and practicing positive discipline techniques, learning age-appropriate child development skills and milestones, promoting positive play and interaction between parents and children, and locating and accessing community services and supports. The following programs and resources have been useful in supporting parents and strengthening parenting skills.
- Parent education for families involved in child welfare
- Parent education resources
- State and local examples
24/7 Dad
National Fatherhood Initiative
Focuses on five characteristics a father needs to be a great dad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Covers universal aspects of fatherhood so that men of all cultures, races, religions, and backgrounds can benefit from the programs.
ACT-Raising Safe Kids (ACT-RSK) program
Outlines the ACT/Parents Raising Safe Kids program that focuses on educating parents and caregivers to create early environments to protect children from violence and maltreatment.
The Circle of Security
Offers information to increase parent-child interactions and parental awareness to enhance attachment security between parents and children. The highlighted interventions expand parents' choices on reactions and raising their children.
The Incredible Years
A research-based program for reducing children's aggression and behavior problems and increasing social competence at home and at school.
Just In Time Parenting
Cooperative Extension System
Provides research-based information to families in factsheets and newsletters, and connects parents to age-appropriate resources and expert advice.
The Nurturing Parenting Programs
Family-based program that involves both parents and children in activities, focusing on building a positive regard for self and others. Several programs focus on specific age groups and racial populations.
Parent Education Changes Lives (PDF - 145 KB)
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia (2013)
Reports findings from an evaluation of SCAN's ABCs of Parenting program, an 8-week program designed to improve parenting attitudes shown to be related to child abuse and neglect.
Parenting Inside Out® Program
Focuses on the Parenting Inside Out program, an evidence-based parenting skills training program developed for criminal justice-involved parents, including those parenting from prison and parents on parole. The program has a proven impact on reducing recidivism and criminal behavior while improving family relationships and parenting skills.
Parenting Our Children to Excellence
Describes Parenting Our Children to Excellence, a behaviorally oriented, parent-training program designed to strengthen positive parent-child interactions in low- and high-risk families. The program helps parents enhance their child's coping skills, create satisfaction for the parent in the parenting role, increase parents' beliefs that they can parent effectively, decrease child behavior problems, reduce parenting stress, and lessen or eliminate the risk of parental engagement in child abuse.
Parent Training
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Programs rated by the Clearinghouse for their effectiveness in parent education.
Parents as Teachers
An international early childhood parent education and family support program designed to enhance child development and school achievement through parent education accessible to all families.
Triple P - Positive Parenting Program
A multilevel parenting and family support strategy that aims to prevent severe behavioral, emotional, and developmental problems in children by enhancing the knowledge, skills, and confidence of parents.
Tuning in to Kids
Describes a parenting program that helps children learn to understand and regulate their emotions to improve the well-being of children and decrease behavioral difficulties as they age.