Parent Engagement Package: Comparing Strategies for Engaging Parents Into Parenting Programs

Effectiveness Trial of Methods for Engaging Parents Into Parenting Interventions

This study tests the effectiveness of different strategies for engaging parents into an evidence-based parenting skills intervention, the Triple P Positive Parenting Program, offered universally to parents of children attending one of six public elementary schools.

Parenting skills programs have been shown to help prevent youth substance use and mental health disorders. Unfortunately, few parents participate in parenting programs when given the opportunity. Thus, developing effective strategies to increase engagement in effective preventive parenting interventions is essential for these programs to have a significant public health impact. The purpose of this study is to identify parent engagement strategies that increase participation in effective parenting programs and consequently improve parenting practices and children's well-being.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Is a caregiver of a child in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade at a participating school (i.e.,"target child");
• The target child lives with the caregiver at least half of the time;
• The caregiver speaks English or Spanish;
• The caregiver is listed as one of the target child's parents/guardians in the school's records.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The target child is in a self-contained classroom due to cognitive or emotional disabilities;
• The caregiver is a kindergarten, 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade teacher at a participating school;
• The target child attended one of the participating schools during a previous cohort of the study;
• The caregiver is participating in a competing parenting program at the school, the "Intensive Family Literacy program".