Parenting support groups for parents at risk of abuse and neglect

In order to provide parent education groups to low income parents with few resources, an outreach program was piloted in a rural town in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia. The groups were located in the homes of the members and incentives such as stipends, refreshments, free babysitting, and door prizes, were used to improve attendance. Content material was presented in films, with discussion afterwards. The program proved to be successful in attracting and keeping parents involved, and resulted in parent-reported changes in child management strategies, self-esteem, and social activity. The program has been replicated 5 of the past 7 years.