Frequently Asked Questions

CPP is different from most other parenting skills programs. Here are just some of the features that make CPP special:

CPP is among the very few programs developed with parents raising young children in under-resourced communities to ensure its relevance for families.

There is a strong evidence base supporting CPP’s effectiveness and nearly all of our research has been conducted with racially and ethnically diverse families and families with low incomes. So, you can feel confident CPP will work well with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse populations.

CPP is structured in a way that is respectful to parents’ ideas and values; CPP Group Leaders help parents identify their childrearing goals and values and tailor the CPP strategies to best meet their goals.

People learn best when information is provided using multiple modalities. CPP uses multiple strategies to support parents’ learning. These include over 130 video vignettes of real families struggling with common challenges that are used to stimulate discussion and problem-solving, and help parents visualize what the strategies look like. Role play and group activities give parents the opportunity to practice the new skills with the group's guidance and support. Weekly skill-building practice assignments help parents practice their new skills outside the group. Simple handouts summarize the key points from each session.

CPP uses a trauma-informed approach for supporting parents. At the heart of our CPP facilitation model is the importance of creating a safe space where parents are viewed as the experts about their children, deciding for themselves which behaviors they wish to change and which strategies they will use based on their goals and values; and where parents are encouraged to share ideas, support one another, and problem-solve together.

Although CPP was first developed in Chicago, it has now been used in urban and rural communities across the country. However, we appreciate that our name may be confusing to some families. To support local uptake, some agencies have adopted their own name along with ours to market the program to their parents.

The Chicago Parent Program was designed for parents of young children, aged 2-8 years old. We define parents very broadly and include biological, adoptive, step- and foster parents; grandparents; relatives; and non-related caregivers. In fact, we encourage multiple caregivers to attend the Chicago Parent Program groups so they can all learn the same information and work together for the benefit of their children.

Yes. The videos are available in Spanish. You can purchase the USBs with both English and Spanish videos and text on one device. Parent handouts are written in English and Spanish. The Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Manual is also fully translated into Spanish. Please note that the Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training Workshop is delivered only in English. Therefore, CPP group leaders need to be able to speak and read in English to participate in the training.

Using the Chicago Parent Program, parents learn in five different ways: watching the video scenes, group discussion, handouts written at or below the 5th-grade reading level, role-play during parent groups, and practice assignments designed to help parents use their new skills at home with their children. A high level of reading skill is not needed to succeed in this program.

Yes, The Chicago Parent Program 3rd edition videos include closed captioning in Spanish and English.

The most common challenge to effective implementation is getting parents to participate. The Chicago Parent Program is a 12-session program and different skills are taught in each session. However, the skills build upon each other so it’s important to get parents to attend from the very beginning. Many strategies have been used to overcome this challenge. These include (a) getting full-agency buy-in about the importance of participating in the Chicago Parent Program groups, (b) making it easy to attend the parent groups by providing on-site childcare and refreshments and schedule parent groups at a time that is convenient for parents to attend, (c) providing frequent reminders about when parent groups are being held such as phone calls and text messages to parents, flyers, notices in agency newsletters, and letting teachers know dates so they can reinforce attendance, and (d) providing incentives for attendance such as gift cards, children's books, or random drawings or prizes.

The most common mistake is to offer the Chicago Parent Program without the full buy-in of parents, staff, and key leaders at your agency. Before investing in the Chicago Parent Program, meet with key stakeholders at your agency. Show them the evidence supporting the program, including the testimonial video. Explain the cost and show how you have the resources needed to implement the program well.

Yes! The CPP can be implemented in person or virtually via Zoom, Microsoft TEAMS, or other virtual platforms. Please visit the Purchase Materials page to download our FREE Implementation Guides.

We frequently receive requests for template descriptions of the Chicago Parent Program from agencies seeking grant funding for startup initiatives. Please feel free to use the information provided below and refer to the Research page on our website for locating relevant references to cite.

Brief CPP Program Description: The Chicago Parent Program (CPP) is a 12-session group-based parenting program tailored for parents and other caregivers of young children, 2-8 years old. CPP was developed in collaboration with an advisory board of parents raising young children in low-resource communities to ensure its relevance for families living in underserved communities. Validated through numerous randomized trials involving families from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, CPP has proven cost-effective with positive outcomes for parents, children, and community agencies, garnering high consumer satisfaction ratings. Grounded in attachment theory and social learning theory, CPP's third edition provides valuable support and guidance to caregivers.

The 11 weekly CPP sessions focus on strengthening parent-child relationships, establishing routines, clarifying expectations, setting effective limits, managing stress, and using effective problem-solving skills. A 12th CPP session offered one month after the 11th session serves to review content and celebrate parents’ accomplishments. CPP has been successfully integrated into various settings, including schools, Head Start programs, childcare centers, child mental health facilities, primary care practices, and other agencies serving families of young children in urban and rural communities. CPP is available in English and Spanish.

Overview of CPP Components: CPP is delivered in a parent group format over 11 weekly sessions along plus an additional “booster” and celebration session. Each 2-hour session includes multiple strategies to facilitate parental learning. These include:

1. Over 130 brief video vignettes showcasing real families managing common, often challenging, situations. These vignettes are used to generate discussion, insight, and exchange of ideas. A narrator provides simple explanations of key concepts, ensuring consistency of CPP content across groups.

2. A detailed CPP Group Leader Manual 3rd Edition, providing comprehensive content and structure for each group session.

3. Two trained CPP Group Leaders who help parents clarify their parenting goals, facilitate the group discussions and problem-solving, support parents in tailoring strategies to their parenting goals, and build support and connection among parents.

4. In-session role-play and group activities to help parents practice their new skills with one another, receiving guidance and support from the CPP Group Leaders and other parents.

5. Skill-building practice assignments to help parents practice at home what they are learning from each CPP session

6. Weekly handouts summarizing important points from the group session for parents to share with their family. Handouts are brief, written in simple language, and available in English and Spanish.

7. A well-established CPP Group Leader Training Workshop ensuring all CPP Group Leaders have the knowledge, confidence, and skill to effectively implement CPP groups in their practice setting. Group leaders are required to have at least a high school diploma, attend the full training workshop, and successfully pass a CPP post-test.

8. A validated fidelity monitoring system for assessing CPP adherence and skill in facilitating the parent groups

9. A step-by-step CPP Implementation Guide that includes budgetary and logistic planning to support launching and sustaining CPP.

We understand that programs may benefit from some adaptation to best serve the needs of the local population. However, the Chicago Parent Program team would like to be involved in discussing those adaptations first to ensure that they will not compromise quality or effectiveness. For example, in one agency, the group leaders added more handouts and role-play exercises on stress management (Session 9). This kind of adaptation can be very effective. However, some agencies may want to offer only 6 sessions instead of 12 sessions to increase parent attendance. This kind of adaptation will diminish the effectiveness of the Chicago Parent Program because parents will not be exposed to much of the program.

We strongly recommend that Chicago Parent Program groups be led by two trained group leaders. Although it is tempting to have only one group leader, it is very difficult for one person to manage the videos, group discussion, and role-play; keep the group “on task” and “on topic;” and manage the paperwork (i.e., taking attendance, collecting and distributing practice assignments, collecting weekly satisfaction forms). In our experience, many of the parents who attend parent groups also have other needs (e.g., histories of trauma or depression) that make it more difficult to learn. For this reason, we recommend that one of the two group leaders have a mental health background.

For agencies implementing CPP groups at multiple sites, it will be important to identify a CPP coordinator who will help manage the many logistical needs at each site, ensure quality monitoring of CPP group leading, and support participation.

For agencies implementing in-person CPP groups, it will also be important to have qualified staff to provide childcare for parents during the group sessions.

Qualifications include at least a high school diploma or GED, successful completion of the 2-day in-person or 4 half-day virtual Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training Workshop, and excellent interpersonal skills. To participate in the Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training, group leaders also need to be able to speak and read English (workshops are only available in English). When feasible, we recommend that at least one of the group leaders has a mental health background.

Amazingly, research has not yet been able to extract the key ingredient for being an outstanding Chicago Parent Program Group Leader. From our experience, the best group leaders are people who (a) are very knowledgeable about the Chicago Parent Program principles and strategies but know that parents are the true experts about their children; (b) are comfortable leading groups and will come well-prepared to each group; (c) enjoy parents as much as they enjoy children; and (d) can gear the new information for parents in ways that are understood and that help parents tailor the strategies to meet their childrearing goals.

We recommend groups of 8–15 parents.

Implementation quality is assessed two ways. Chicago Parent Program group leaders are trained to assess their own implementation of the program after each session using the Group Leader Weekly Checklist. Implementation quality can also be independently evaluated by the Chicago Parent Program team. Learn more about getting independent fidelity evaluations of Chicago Parent Program groups.

Group leader implementation of the Chicago Parent Program is assessed by independent raters using the Fidelity Checklist. The Fidelity Checklist is a feasible, reliable, and valid measure of group leader adherence to the program and competence and quality of facilitating CPP groups. In a study of the relationship between group leader implementation and parents’ participation in the program, we found that (a) group leader adherence to the program is associated with higher parent attendance and engagement in the group and (b) the quality of group facilitation is associated with parent satisfaction with the program.

To ensure that the Chicago Parent Program is being delivered well, group leaders will need support and resources from their supervisors. Specifically, supervisors will want to be sure that all group leaders have successfully completed the Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training Workshop before leading parent groups, have the space and equipment (i.e., TV monitor, Laptop, CPP videos) needed to run parent groups, support for recruiting parents into the group, and help with childcare.

Yes, group leaders need to successfully complete the Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training Workshop before they can implement CPP groups. The CPP Group Leader Manual is included in the CPP Group Leader Training Workshop tuition; CPP videos are purchased separately. Both the CPP Group Leader Manual and the CPP videos are required for implementing CPP groups.

CPP Group Leader Training Workshops are offered virtually several times each year over 4 consecutive half-days by experienced CPP trainers. Agencies can also contract for on-site training when large groups of staff need to be trained (e.g., 12 or more trainees). Learn more about CPP Group Leader training.

We do not offer a “train-the-trainer" model for Chicago Parent Program Group Leaders. All Chicago Parent Program Group Leader Training Workshops are managed by the CPP Team and implemented by trainers who are highly experienced CPP Group Leaders to ensure a high level of training quality. However, we recommend that novice Group Leaders be paired with experienced Chicago Parent Program Group Leaders.

We train individuals who intend to facilitate Chicago Parent Program groups and other agency staff who would like to learn how the program works.

Retraining is available but not required. CPP Group Leaders who were trained using the Chicago Parent Program 2nd edition are encouraged to become retrained in the Chicago Parent Program 3rd edition, or they can view the slides from the the webinar that introduced the CPP 3rd edition. They may also view this video that introduces the CPP 3rd edition.

The virtual training workshops are conducted over 4 consecutive half days. In-person training workshops are conducted over two consecutive 7-hour days.