Mentoring At-Risk Latino Children and Their Parents: Analysis of the Parent–Child Relationship and Family Strength

Abstract

The Family Mentoring Program (FMP), which provided approximately 1 year of mentoring for at-risk, 10-year-old Latino children and their parents, offered individual mentoring, group educational sessions for children and parents, and group social/recreational activities. This study examined mothers' perceptions of the parent–child relationship and of family strength as measured by the Parent–Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) and the Family Hardiness Index (FHI). Analysis focused on factors expected to contribute to variance in the outcome measures. Regression results indicated that involvement in parent group education predicted higher scores on the Support and Communication measures. Compared to the standardized samples used in the development of these measures, mothers, at the beginning of the program, scored lower on six of seven PCRI subscales and on the FHI. By the end of the program, mothers' scores on Support and Limit Setting had improved, no longer differing from the standardized norms. The overall findings suggest that parents of children in mentoring programs need services and parent education and that they can benefit from these. Future research should focus on careful design and evaluation of multifaceted mentoring programs that include parents.