Evaluating Outcomes for At-risk Families Participating in The Family Tree’s Positive Parenting Program: A Retrospective Study - Part II: Long Term Outcomes, Summary and Conclusions

Abstract

The Family Tree is Maryland’s largest private non-profit agency dedicated to strengthening families to prevent child abuse and neglect. As part of this effort, The Family Tree provides a group-based parenting skills training program targeting high-risk families, many who had an indicated report of child maltreatment. The evaluation utilized administrative data to 1) describe the characteristics of the high-risk families who participated in the group-based parent skills training program (PPP) in Baltimore City over a six year period (2002 to 2007); 2) evaluate the intermediate outcomes for families completing the program, including parenting knowledge and attitudes and self esteem; and 3) evaluate the longer-term outcomes including child safety, stability, and permanency for families who participated in the program, comparing those who completed the program with those who started but did not complete the program. The Final Report, or Part II of this evaluation presents the Long Term Outcomes, Summary and Conclusions. Results are also described in an Interim Report, and a summary PowerPoint presentation: The Positive Parenting Program - Exploration of the Impact of PPP on Intermediate and Long‐term Outcomes.