Parent Training Programs: Insight for Practitioners

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently conducting research and analyses to guide practitioners in making evidence-based program decisions. A meta-analysis of the current research literature on training programs for parents with children ages 0 to 7 years old was recently conducted by CDC behavioral scientists. This document presents a summary of their findings.

Various parent training programs exist throughout this country. Many of these programs are widely used by child welfare services to improve the parenting practices of families referred for child maltreatment. Approximately 800,000 families receive such training each year. Despite variations in how they are comprised and delivered, the “components” associated with more effective or less effective parent training programs have rarely been examined.

This meta-analysis does not provide all the answers, but it does impart useful information to practitioners working with families. CDC’s continuing goal is to make science more accessible—bridging the traditional gaps between researchers and practitioners—so we can generate discussion within the field and help foster change based on good research.