ParentCorps is for families with a 4-year-old child living in disadvantaged communities. It is delivered by seven practitioners to groups of 12 to 15 parents and their children concurrently through 14 two-hour sessions. A mental health practitioner delivers the parent component and pre-school teachers, supported by three assistant teachers, deliver the child component.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
4 years old
Group
ParentCorps is for families living in disadvantaged communities with a 4-year-old child. It is designed to be offered to families with a child enrolled in preschool or nursery to support the child’s self-regulatory development and future school success.
ParentCorps consists of 14 weekly sessions of two hours’ duration each, with additional components dependent on individual family need. ParentCorps is delivered by a team of seven practitioners to groups of between 12 and 15 parents and their chlidren attend concurrent sessions that take place in separate classrooms.
All family members are invited to participate in Parent Group sessions, delivered to groups of 12 to 15 parents and run by a mental health professional. The parent sessions are run in parralel to Child Group sessions, delivered by three kindergarten teachers and three assistant teachers to groups of 18 to 20 children.
During Parent Group, mental health professionals follow a manual to present specific strategies: daily routines; positive parent–child interactions during non-directive play; sharing books; positive reinforcement; proactive strategies; selectively ignoring mild misbehaviour; consequences for serious misbehaviour; helping children manage emotions; and parent self-care. Early sessions include activities which allowed parents to discuss their culture and how culture can influence parenting. Parents then set goals for their children and shared them with the group, Child Group leaders, and other caregivers.
Sessions used introductory videos, questions regarding the role of culture on the topic of the session, activities such as role-plays to reinforce the new skill, discussion about parents’ readiness to try a new skill with their children, and group problem solving to address any issues raised.
Child Group sessions use puppets and play, positive behaviour support, and behaviour management to promote social-emotional skills. Children are exposed to the strategies being taught in Parent Group, such as sticker charts and Time Out, to increase familiarity and acceptance of practices.
The content of the Parent and Child Group sessions are integrated to reinforce child learning. At the end of each session, Child Group leaders provide feedback to parents about their individual child’s progress against the goals set in Parent Group, and parent–child activities are incorporated to provide opportunities to practise skills within the sessions.
4 years old
Families with a 4-year-old child, living in disadvantaged, urban communities.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Young children naturally exhibit challenging and non-compliant behaviours
Challenging child behaviours during preschool and primary school increase the risk of behavioural problems in adolescence.
Science-based assumption
Effective parenting behaviours help children to regulate their own behaviour and reduce the risk of child behavioural problems becoming entrenched
Ineffective parenting strategies occasionally increase the risk of child behavioural problems becoming entrenched.
Science-based assumption
Higher levels of family stress and disadvantage can increase the risk of child behavioural problems.
Intervention
Parents learn:
Strategies for establishing predictable family routines
Strategies for promoting positive parent–child interaction through non-directive play
Strategies for reinforcing positive child behaviour through labelled praise
Strategies for discouraging challenging child behaviour through age-appropriate discipline.
Short-term
Parents implement effective parenting strategies in the home
Parents’ confidence increases
Parent–child interaction improves.
Medium-term
Children’s self-regulatory capabilities and behaviour improves.
Long-term
Children are at less risk of antisocial behaviour in adolescence
Children are more likely to engage positively with others.
Families with a 4-year-old child, living in a disadvantaged community.
ParentCorps is delivered in 14 sessions of two hours’ duration each by seven practitioners (one delivering the parent component and six delivering the child component), to groups of parents and children.
Parents attend Parent Group and are taught positive behavioural strategies taking cultural context into consideration. Children attend Child Group sessions run in parallel, and are exposed to strategies taught in Parent Group. Parents set specific aims for their children in early sessions, and group activities allow parents and children to practise new skills together.
The practitioners who deliver this intervention are one mental health practitioner (parent component), three pre-kindergarten teachers (child component), and three assistant teachers (child component).
The mental health practitioners have 56 hours of intervention training. The pre-kindergarten teachers and assistant teachers have 42 hours of training.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host-agency supervisor, with 14 hours of intervention training, and two intervention developer supervisors with no required training.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Contact person: Spring Dawson-McClure
Organisation: New York University
Email address: spring.dawson-mcclure@nyulangone.org
Website: https://www.weareparentcorps.org/
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
ParentCorps qualifies for a Level 3+ rating, as it has evidence from at least one Level 3 study, along with evidence from other studies rated 2 or better.
The first study was a cluster RCT conducted in the United States with evidence consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 evidence strength criteria. This study observed statistically significant post-intervention improvements in ParentCorps children’s performance on a validated intelligence test and teacher assessments of their behaviour compared to children not participating in the intervention. This study also observed significant improvements in ParentCorps parents’ post-intervention assessment of their own parenting practices, as well as increased school engagement, as rated by their child’s teacher.
The second study was also a cluster RCT conducted in the United States with evidence consistent with Foundations’ Level 2+ evidence criteria. This study observed statistically significant improvements in teacher assessment of ParentCorps children’s behaviour in comparison to children not receiving the intervention. ParentCorps parents were also significantly more likely to report improved parenting behaviours in comparison to parents not receiving the intervention.
ParentCorps can be described as evidence-based: it has evidence from at least one rigorously conducted RCT or QED demonstrating a statistically significant positive impact on at least one child outcome.
Improved kindergarten achievement test scores
Immediately after the intervention
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved academic performance
Immediately after the intervention
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Reductions in behavioural problems
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
| Identified in search | 5 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 1 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 3 |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 1,050 families with children aged 4 attending Pre-K classes in one of 10 schools in highly disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
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| Population risk factors |
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| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
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| Other outcomes |
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| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Study 1a: Brotman, L. M., Dawson-McClure, S., Calzada, E. J., Huang, K.-Y., Kamboukos, D., Palamar, J. J. & Petkova, E. (2013) Cluster (school) RCT of ParentCorps: Impact on kindergarten academic achievement. Pediatrics. 131 (5), e1521–e1529. Study 1b: Dawson-McClure, S., Calzada, E., Huang, K. Y., Kamboukos, D., Rhule, D., Kolawole, B., … & Brotman, L. M. (2014) A population-level approach to promoting healthy child development and school success in low-income, urban neighborhoods: Impact on parenting and child conduct problems. Prevention Science. 1–12. |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 171 families |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Reduced behavioural problems (teacher report) |
| Other outcomes | Improved parenting practices (parent report) |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Brotman, L. M., Calzada, E., Huang, K. Y., Kingston, S., Dawson-McClure, S., Kamboukos, D. & Petkova, E. (2011) Promoting effective parenting practices and preventing child behaviour problems in school among ethnically diverse families from underserved, urban communities. Child Development. 82, 258–276. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Brotman, L. M., Dawson-McClure, S., Huang, K. Y., Theise, R., Kamboukos, D., Wang, J., … & Ogedegbe, G. (2012) Early childhood family intervention and long-term obesity prevention among high-risk minority youth. Pediatrics. 129 (3), e621–e628.
Hajizadeh, N., Stevens, E. R., Applegate, M., Huang, K. Y., Kamboukos, D., Braithwaite, R. S. & Brotman, L. M. (2017) Potential return on investment of a family-centered early childhood intervention: A cost-effectiveness analysis. BMC Public Health. 17 (1), 796.
Huang, K. Y., Nakigudde, J., Rhule, D., Gumikiriza-Onoria, J. L., Abura, G., Kolawole, B., Ndyanabangi, S., Kim, S., Seidman, E., Ogedegbe, G. & Brotman, L. M. (2017) Transportability of an evidence-based early childhood intervention in a low-income African country: Results of a cluster randomized controlled study. Prevention Science. 18 (8), 964–975.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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