Supporting Preschool Childrens Mental Health Through Parenting Program Partnerships with Head Start in Maryland

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a new mental health treatment model aimed at young children aged 2 to 5 years from low-income, under-resourced communities in Maryland. This study focuses on improving childrens mental health services through a partnership with Head Start programs in urban and rural areas. The goal is to test the early effectiveness, acceptability, accessibility, cost, and sustainability of this innovative approach. The treatment involves an adapted version of the Chicago Parent Program, called CPPi, which is an individualized, group-based parenting skills and support program delivered through telehealth. Registered nurses implement CPPi within trusted community agencies that support families using a two-generation social service model. The program is designed to be culturally appropriate, reduce stigma, and fit within the Head Start service system. Parents participate in 8 to 12 virtual sessions of this parenting skills program. Participants will be involved through virtual sessions, and data will be collected from parents and teachers before and after the intervention. Researchers will assess changes in childrens social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing using several questionnaires, as well as changes in parenting skills and confidence. They will also measure parent satisfaction, treatment attendance, referral processes, and the programs cost and sustainability. The study will monitor parental anxiety and depressive symptoms as secondary outcomes. The study is expected to continue through November 2028.

Parenting for Tomorrow: A New Model for Supporting Preschool Children's Mental Health in Head Start