ParentCorps
Program basics
- Early childhood, family-centered intervention that takes place in schools and early childhood centers
- Designed to promote child social-emotional competence, executive function, and early learning by helping parents and teachers create safe, nurturing, and predictable environments for children
- Includes 14-week parenting program, 14-week social-emotional learning curriculum, and professional development for school leaders and staff
- Developed to reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in health and education over the lifespan
- Available in English, Spanish and Chinese
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Strong (second-highest tier)
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Strong (second-highest tier)
Ranked as having the highest level of evidence by Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; the second-highest level of evidence by the National Institute of Justice
Target population
Parents with children under the age of 5
Program cost
$2,070 per student
Implementation locations
- New York City, NY; Detroit, MI; Corpus Christi, TX
Dates active
2000-present
Outcomes and impact
- Higher kindergarten achievement test scores
- Higher academic performance, as rated by teachers, from kindergarten through second grade
- Prevention of mental health problems at school (both emotional and behavioral) as problems emerge in first through second grade
- Increases in parents’ knowledge and use of evidence-based practices, and parent involvement in children’s learning, as rated by both teachers and parents
- Statistically significant effect on academic performance at the end of second grade
Keys to successful implementation
- To build parent capacity, ParentCorps focuses on five specific strategies: building authentic relationships, honoring culture, understanding race and racism, translating the science of early child development, and practicing self-reflection.
- Materials and strategies are used flexibly to fit with school context.
- Outreach is designed to support relationship building from the start of the year and reduce the stigma parents may feel when invited to a parenting program.
- Outreach and participant recruitment are designed to be inclusive. Designated family support staff lead parent outreach, ideally with involvement of school leaders. Pre-K teachers, parents, and other adults important to the child are encouraged to join the parenting program.
- A focus on parent voice is foundational for reaching parents experiencing adversity due to poverty, racism, and discrimination- and immigration-related stress.
