Parents have long wanted information on child rearing, but the recent surge in requests for formal parenting education is causing a boom for the profession. This boom presents many questions, one of which concerns the design of parenting education. Could the following factors be related to participation and high rates of dropping out by parents?

• the design of the program
• when and where parenting programs are held
• how parents are taught
• the content that is offered
• comfort within a learning group

Parent Study Description

To address concerns of parents and parent educators, the National Network for Family Resiliency collected survey data asking parents what topics they most want and what topics they want least. The non-random sample included 637 parents age 16-65 years of age from four states (North Carolina, Delaware, Texas, and Ohio). Within the sample, 39% were Euro-American, 38% were African American, and 10% were Hispanic with the remaining parents Native American or multi-racial.

Study Results

Parents indicated that they prefer to meet in groups of ten or smaller (55%) once a week (31%) or once a month (31%) for one (41%) to two (22%) hours at a time. There was not a preferred day of the week but that evenings (32%) are probably the best time of day while 34% indicated that it depends on their schedules. At least 25% need transportation if parenting education is offered as a group meeting and there was not a majority preference for what their children should do while they are learning with a group, however 33% indicated they would like their children to attend the learning session together with them.

Parents were asked how comfortable they are in a group with others present. Most (63%) are comfortable with their spouse or mate, good friends (59%), or other family members (58%) but nearly half (44%) are not comfortable in groups with people whom they do not know. In comparing parents by individual characteristics, there was a significant difference between parents depending on their custody status. That is, divorced or separated parent are not comfortable in groups with their (ex) spouse or mate. Age was also a factor in group composition with a greater preference by older parents for one's mate and greater comfort with people they do not know in the group. Also parents with a higher level of education are more comfortable with people whom they do not know than parents with less education and females are more comfortable in groups with friends and with people they do not know while males are more comfortable than females with their mates.

Implications for Practice

These findings have several implications for parenting educators. First, consider comfort level when planning parenting education programs. Be aware that programs open to anyone from the general public without attention to group comfort may result in poor attendance.

Parents who need transportation and child care may not be able to attend general parenting education programs and programs that are not convenient to a parent's schedule will not be attended.

Several additional considerations include:

• Target parenting programs to parents based on their specific assessed needs.
• If offering parenting education for divorced or separating families, offer separate sessions so separating spouses do not have to attend the same session.
• Consider offering parenting education in small groups with less than 10 people, preferably ones who already know each other.
• Fathers may be more comfortable attending with their spouses than attending a group with people they do not know.
• Consider offering child care or parent-child learning together sessions.
• Groups comprised of community members who do not know one another might be targeted to parents of teenagers, college student parents, or grandparents to appeal to older adults or those with higher educational attainment who are more comfortable in settings with strangers.
• When targeting parents with less education, assess the composition of learning groups they prefer.

Karen DeBord, PhD
Associate Professor
and State Specialist, Child Development
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7605
(919) 515-9147 (Voice)
(919) 515-2786 (Fax)
Karen_DeBord@NCSU.EDU

Jacqueline J. Kirby, M.S.
Extension Associate, Family Life
Ohio State University Extension
The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH 43210-1295
(614) 688-3486 (Voice)
(614) 292-4365 (Fax)
kirby.21@osu.edu

June P. Mead, PhD
Cornell University Extension
(607) 772-8036 (Voice)
(607) 772-8243 (Fax)
Binghamton, NY 13903
jm62@cornell.edu