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Chicago Child-Parent Centers

Scientific Rating:
3
Promising Research Evidence
See scale of 1-5
Child Welfare Relevance Rating:
1
High
See scale of 1-3

Note: The Chicago Child-Parent Centers program was not responsive to the CEBC's inquiry. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources.

Brief Description

The Chicago Child-Parent Centers program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Secondary).

  • Child Welfare Outcomes: Safety and Child/Family Well-Being
  • Types of Maltreatment: Does not target any specific kind of maltreatment
  • Target Population: Not Specified

The Chicago Child-Parent Centers program is a center-based early intervention that provides educational and family support services. The program is designed for low-income children and families from preschool to early elementary school. Class sizes are kept small and teachers are given in-service training. The Child-Parent Centers focus on five areas: early intervention; parent involvement; a structured language and basic skills approach; health and social services; and continuity between preschool and early elementary school. The parent component includes a full-time parent resource teacher; parent educational activities and GED classes; and support for parent-child interactions and interactions among parents. The program also includes home visitation and parent conferences to support their five focus areas.

Education and Training Resources

Publicly available information indicates there is some training available for this program.
See contact info below.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

This program is rated a "3 - Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list study) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.

Show relevant research...

Reynolds, A. J., Temple, J. A., & Ou, S. (2003). School-based early intervention and child well-being in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Child Welfare, 82, 633-656.

Type of Study: Non-randomized matched control group
Number of Participants: Data for 1,314 participants on educational attainment, 1,404 on juvenile delinquency.

Population:

  • Age range — 4 - 21
  • Race/Ethnicity — Intervention group: 94.0% African American; Comparison group: 92.6% African American
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — Families with children living in impoverished neighborhoods and attending public schools.

Location / Institution: Chicago

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The Chicago Longitudinal Study is an ongoing evaluation of a cohort of low income children beginning in 1983. The intervention group received education and family support from the Chicago Child-Parent Centers (CPC) from preschool through third grade. The comparison group who enrolled in alternative kindergarten programs without CPC support. The present report analyzed group differences at various ages in five indicators of well-being. These indicators were school readiness, family support behavior, remedial education experiences, and educational attainment. In the domain of school readiness, CPC children more likely to be at or above the national mean in readiness and reading achievement, based on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. CPC families showed greater parent involvement, according to teacher and parent ratings, and were less likely to have child maltreatment reports between the ages of 4 and 17. Children in the CPC group were also less likely to have had to repeat a grade, to require special education, and to exhibit juvenile delinquency or experience arrest between the ages of 10 and 18. CPC children were also more likely to have completed high school and attained a higher level of education by age 21.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 13 years.

Reynolds, A. J., & Ou, S., & Topitzes, J. W. (2004). Paths of effects of early childhood intervention on educational attainment and delinquency: A confirmatory analysis of the Chicago Child-Parent Centers. Child Development, 75(5), 1299-1328.

Type of Study: Non-randomized matched comparison group
Number of Participants: 1,404

Population:

  • Age range — 4-21
  • Race/Ethnicity — Intervention group: 94.0% African American; Comparison group: 92.6% African American
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — Families with children living in impoverished neighborhoods and attending public schools.

Location / Institution: Chicago

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Note: This analysis uses the same longitudinal data as the Reynolds, Temple, et al (2003) study. The present study used statistical analysis to account for which pathways influence the observed outcomes of children who attended the Chicago Child Parent Center's early education programs. These children experienced higher rates of educational attainment and lower rates of juvenile arrest than did those in the comparison group. Factors thought to influence these outcomes included 1) greater cognitive development, 2) better family support, 3) better school support, 4) motivational advantage, and 5) better social adjustment. Statistical analysis indicated that the primary factors were attendance at higher quality elementary schools, lower mobility, higher literacy in kindergarten, avoiding retention, higher levels parent involvement in schools, and lower rates of child maltreatment.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 13 years.

Mersky, J. P., Berger, L. M., Reynolds, A. J., & Gromoske, A. N. (2009). Risk factors for child and adolescent maltreatment: A longitudinal investigation of a cohort of inner-city youth. Child Maltreatment, 14(2), 182-206.

Type of Study: Non-randomized matched control group
Number of Participants: 1,411

Population:

  • Age range — 6 to 17 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Predominantly African-American
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — Participants were from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS) (1985-1986) sample

Location / Institution: Chicago

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The study evaluated prospective longitudinal data over a 24-year period of individual, family, and extrafamilial factors and the likelihood of subsequent childhood and adolescent maltreatment. Participant data was collected from the Chicago Longitudinal Study and children were tracked from kindergarten entry to age 24. The sample was compared to a separate sample of children and adolescents who had not attended the Chicago Child-Parent Center preschool program. Analyses indicated among other factors, participation in the Chicago Child-Parent Center preschool program was associated with a lower likelihood of child neglect, but not physical abuse. Limitations include lack of randomization, reliance on indicated reports of abuse and neglect, and concerns about generalizability.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 24 years.

Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J. D., & Reynolds, A. J. (2011). Maltreatment prevention through early childhood intervention: A confirmatory evaluation of the Chicago Child-Parent Center preschool program. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1454-1463.

Type of Study: Non-randomized matched control group
Number of Participants: 1,411

Population:

  • Age range — 6 to 17 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Predominantly African American
  • Gender — Not Specified
  • Status — Participants were from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS) (1985-1986) sample. This study evaluates the same sample as the Mersky et al. (2009) study.

Location / Institution: Chicago

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as the Mersky et al. (2009) study and further evaluated child, family, and school factors and the likelihood of subsequent childhood and adolescent maltreatment. Results indicated that families with children who participated in the Chicago Child-Parent Center program demonstrated increased parental involvement in school, maternal educational attainment, decreased family problems, reduced school mobility, increased attendance in higher-quality schools, and significantly mediated maltreatment and neglect. Limitations include the lack of randomization and reliance on indicated reports of abuse and neglect.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 26 years.

References

No reference materials are currently available for Chicago Child-Parent Centers.

Contact Information

Name: Sonja Griffin
Agency/Affiliation: Chicago Public Schools
Website: ecechicago.org/programs/ece/cpc.html
Email:

Date Reviewed: June 2011 (originally reviewed in February 2008)