Research has established a significant relationship between certain parental characteristics, such as income or parenting practices, and the development of child behavior problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parenting program for low-income parents of children one to five years old which was offered through community-based family resource centers. Seventy-one mothers completed the program and showed significant decreases in their use of verbal and corporal punishment and significant increases In nurturing behaviors; their children's behavior also improved significantly. Forty-five percent of parents also met Jacobson and Truax's (1991) criteria for clinically significant change. Implications for practitioners working with this challenging population are discussed.
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