A Guide to Parenting Education Resources 
for Hispanic/Latino Families 

Introduction

ParentLink is proud to present A Guide to Parenting Education Resources for Hispanic/Latino Families.  This guide is for professionals who work with families of Hispanic/Latino origin.  It contains descriptions of parenting materials and evaluative comments to assist professionals in selecting materials for their use.  It is our hope that providers will use this guide to improve the quality of parenting education and support services for Hispanic/Latino families.  To order a print copy of this guide contact Chris Sheriff at SheriffC@missouri.edu.

The Need
It’s not easy being a parent these days.  The pressure is on, with parents juggling demanding work schedules, household chores, and an array of activities for their children.  Parents are bombarded from all sides with messages about raising children.  Experts dispense advice from parenting magazines, TV and radio talk shows, Internet web sites, and “how-to” books – but the “experts” don’t always agree.  Expectations are high as parents are exhorted to produce bright, well-behaved, achievement-oriented children who excel in academics, sports, and the arts.  Parents’ needs for accurate information and emotional support are acute, but they often live at a distance from their traditional support systems of family and friends (Powell, 1990).  Many parents feel they could do better by their children, that they are not doing as good a job raising their children as their own parents did raising them (Kagan, 1995).

Professionals working with parents have long been aware of the need to provide parents with information and support to help make the job of raising children a bit easier (Powell, 1990).  Psychologists, counselors, human development specialists, and other human service professionals have responded by developing parenting education programs of many varied descriptions.  Parent education programs may present information on the typical developmental stages of childhood so parents will have an idea of what behaviors to expect from their children and when.  Parents can also learn about age-appropriate discipline techniques, suggestions for parenting a child with a developmental disability, how to communicate more effectively with their children, or how to stimulate the brain development of their young children.  Some parenting education programs provide a set curriculum during a prescribed number of sessions, while others are designed to function more as an on-going support group for parents.  There are variations on these themes across a wide spectrum. 

Parents need both the didactic component as well as the support function of parenting education (“How are the children,” 1999; Reppucci, Britner, & Woolard, 1997).  Both are intended to enable parents to be better parents – to help them to understand their growing children; to provide their children with opportunities that will enhance their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development; to manage their children’s behavior in such a way that the children can function effectively within their families and beyond; and to enhance parents’ relationships with their children.   

Traditional parenting education programs and groups have typically been designed by and for middle class Americans of European descent.  But the cultural landscape in the United States is changing.  As America moves into the twenty-first century we are experiencing an influx of immigrants even larger than that at the beginning of the twentieth century (Passel and Fix, 2001).  The population of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States has increased dramatically in the past ten years.  

The picture in Missouri reflects that of the United States as a whole.  Every county within Missouri has Hispanic/Latino residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).  Current estimates are that Hispanics/Latinos comprise 2% of Missouri's population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002).  Over 42,000 of Missouri's children are of Hispanic/Latino origin, approximately 3% of all Missouri's children under 18.  The number of children of Hispanic/Latino origin is increasing more rapidly than that of children from any other ethnic group.  While the total number of children in Missouri increased 8.5% between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of Hispanic/Latino children increased 100.4%.  Expectations are that Missouri's Hispanic/Latino population will continue to increase in upcoming years ("How many," 2001).  Materials and programs designed for European Americans are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of all Missouri's parents.  

The challenge is to provide Hispanic/Latino parents the parenting education and support that all parents need in such a way that it is meaningful and useful to them.  The goal of ParentLink’s "Parenting Material Review for Hispanic/Latino Families" project is to examine parenting education materials – formal curricula, videotapes, books, brochures, booklets, and others – and to determine which best meet the needs of Hispanic/Latino families and the professionals who work with them.  Members of our advisory group reviewed each item included in this guide using criteria we developed taking into consideration the unique characteristics and needs of parents from the Hispanic/Latino culture.

The Research 
The importance of providing culturally relevant mental health services – including parenting programs – has been well documented (Dana, 1993; Fong & Furuto, 2001; Hughes, 1994; Lee, 1995; Lee & Richardson, 1991; NCADI, 1997; Sue, Ivey, & Pederson, 1996; Vacc, DeVaney, & Wittmer, 1995).  A “one-size-fits-all” approach to parenting education is inadequate.  The family’s cultural background and value system must be taken into consideration (Robertson, 2001).  Programs that are culturally responsive build on the positive attributes of parents’ cultural backgrounds; they don’t ignore or dismiss them (Abdul-Haqq, 1994).

Producing parenting materials that are relevant to Hispanic/Latino families means more than translating already-existing programs and materials into Spanish (DeBord & Reguero de Atiles, 1999; Santos & Milagros-Reese, 1999).  A number of cultural values and behavioral norms for Hispanics/Latinos have been identified.  Whether selecting an already existing parenting education resource or developing one, it is important to ensure that the program or materials incorporate these values and norms.

For Hispanic/Latino Americans, whether first generation in the United States or third, a central value is the importance of the family (Zapata, 1995; Zuniga, 2001).  “Family” includes not only the nuclear family, but also an extended family made up of grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, and certain non-relatives (Dana, 1993; Puig, 2001).  The needs of the family take precedence over an individual’s needs (Negroni-Rodriguez & Morales, 2001).    

In a similar way, Hispanic/Latino Americans believe that members of a community are responsible for one another (Arredondo, 1996; Zuniga, 2001).  They are interdependent (Avila & Avila, 1995).  Hispanics/ Latinos value cooperation over competition (Zuniga, 2001).

Hispanic/Latino social entities – whether family, church, or workplace – tend to be hierarchical and authoritarian.  Children show respect to adults; women defer to men; one is respectful of a person in authority or in a higher socioeconomic position, such as a doctor or a teacher (Dana, 1993; Espinosa, 1995).  Men are the providers and the heads of their households.  They are responsible for the welfare and honor of their families (Arredondo, 1996; Dana, 1993; Negroni-Rodriguez & Morales, 2001).  Women are expected to be self-sacrificing and to care for the family, their first loyalty (Arredondo, 1991; Negroni-Rodriguez & Morales, 2001).  Parents, godparents, and other adults have unquestioned authority over children (Arredondo, 1996).  Children are expected to be obedient to the wishes of the person in authority (Avila & Avila, 1995; Espinosa, 1995).

Historically, Hispanics/Latinos have been members of the Roman Catholic Church, and that belief system is strongly woven into their cultural values.  Hispanic/Latino Americans may also embrace other spiritual beliefs that predate Catholicism’s influence (Negroni-Rodriguez & Morales, 2001; Zuniga, 2001), like the belief in spirits that offer protection (Dana, 1993; Negroni-Rodriguez & Morales, 2001). For parenting education to speak to the “whole” of a Hispanic/Latino family, it will address spirituality.

The Spanish language defines Hispanic/Latino Americans’ identity.  Their language shapes their experiences and the way they interpret events (Puig, 2001).  Hispanics/Latinos value their language and often continue to speak Spanish at home even after several generations in the United States. 

Educators, counselors, social workers, and other providers working with Hispanic/Latino American families have made observations about what practices seem to be most effective in delivering services.  We can consider these to be recommendations for how to develop accessible, effective parenting education programs for Hispanic/Latino parents.  

Bilingual programs are of primary importance (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995; Espinosa, 1995; Inger, 1992; Jacobson, Huffman, & Rositas de Cantu, 1998; NCADI, 1997).  Interweaving both Spanish and English into the entire fabric of the program makes the program more effective (Schwartz, 1996).  Whether families use primarily Spanish or English at home, responsive providers validate their language and culture (Sosa, 1990).

Efforts to recruit program participants are most effective when they are personal (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995).  Face-to-face visits in parents’ homes, communicating in their home language work best (Espinosa, 1995; Inger, 1992; Romo, 1993; Sosa, 1996).

Hispanic/Latino parents are most likely to prefer meetings that are designed to be social events (Inger, 1992).  Effective parent educators view participating parents as collaborators in the development of the meetings’ format and agenda (Sosa, 1996) and base the programs on parents’ needs (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995; Espinosa, 1995; Inger, 1992).

Programs are likely to be better attended if they are held at a location that is neutral (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995), convenient, and familiar to participants (Inger, 1992).

Because so many Hispanic/Latino parents work, it is important to schedule programs at times that are convenient (Inger, 1992), taking into consideration participants’ work schedules (Sosa, 1996).

In order to eliminate barriers to participation in parenting education programs, providers may also consider offering programs at no cost to parents (Inger, 1992).  Providing child care during the meeting (Inger, 1992; Sosa, 1990), meals in conjunction with the program (Sosa, 1990), and transportation to and from the meeting place (Sosa, 1990) may also help to increase parents’ participation.

When providers are planning parenting education efforts for Hispanic/Latino families, flexibility is key.  Hispanic/Latino parents are likely to be dealing with challenges of poverty, cultural differences, and language difficulties (Sosa, 1996).  Providers can ask the potential participants what might be most helpful to them (Heath, 1998) in order to develop programming that meets their unique needs.

The Project
ParentLink has a long history of professionally reviewing parenting resources.  In 1992 we published the Guide for Choosing Parenting Curricula I.  The Curricula Review Panel for this project developed the “Fundamental Principles of Content” and evaluated over forty parenting education materials based on these five principles ("Guide for choosing," 1992).  We followed with guides for choosing Hispanic/Latino American, Native American, and African American parenting curricula.  For these culturally specific guides ParentLink developed the “Special Populations Review Instrument” that was designed to examine issues addressed by parenting education materials written for specific cultural groups.  We have conducted additional reviews of parenting materials for grandparents raising grandchildren, parents of children with special health care needs, parents of adolescents, and never-married fathers.

This current project, “Parenting Materials Review for Hispanic/Latino Families,” builds on our previous work.  The Advisory Group re-examined the "Fundamental Principles of Content" and the "Special Populations Review Instrument."  The advisors recommended combining the two documents into one and made other minor revisions.  Results of their efforts are incorporated into the Review of Materials for Hispanic/Latino American Families.  These criteria incorporate the values related to family, faith, and community and many of the recommendations for successful parenting programs for Hispanic/Latino families that come from the research.

To identify materials for this project we conducted a nationwide search, relying on recommendations of advisory group members, web sites, vendors of commercial parenting education materials, professional listservs, and suggestions from colleagues.  The materials whose reviews appear in this guide are by no means the only parenting materials available for Hispanic/Latino families.  These represent just a sample.  It is our hope that readers of this publication will draw our attention to additional resources appropriate for Hispanic/Latino parents.  The Evaluation/Recommendation for Additional Materials is for that purpose.

The Quick Reference Table to Materials Reviewed lists all the titles or series reviewed for this project.  It indicates the format of each item, its target audience, the language(s) used in the item, and how each scored on the review criteria.  Interested readers can follow the links to locate materials that meet their needs, then read more about the programs in which they are interested.   

In the narratives that follow readers will find brief content descriptions of 23 titles or series as well as information about the format, length, intended audience, and ordering information for the items.  This information is current as of March 2002.  Following this descriptive information are Reviewers’ Comments.  All reviewers’ comments for an item are combined.  Because the different reviewers of an item often made very similar comments about the resource, we selected just one reviewer’s comment to address that issue.  All items were reviewed between September 2001 and January 2002.  Readers who are interested in additional information about the review process can contact Chris Sheriff at SheriffC@missouri.edu or 573-882-7815. 

References

Abdul-Haqq, I. (1994).  Culturally responsive curriculum.  ERIC Digest.  Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education.  Available:  http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed370936.html

Arredondo, P. (1991).  Counseling Latinas.  In C. C. Lee & B. L. Richardson (Eds.)  Multicultural issues in counseling: New approaches to diversity (pp. 143-156).  Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.  

Arredondo, P. (1996).  MCT theory and Latina(o)-American populations.  In D. W. Sue, A. E. Ivey, & P. B. Pederson (Eds.) A theory of multicultural counseling and therapy (pp.217-235).  Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Avila, D. L., & Avila, A. L. (1995).  Mexican-Americans.  In N. A. Vacc, S. B. DeVaney, & J. Wittmer (Eds.) Experiencing and counseling multicultural and diverse populations (3^rd ed.) (pp. 119-146).  Bristol, PA: Accelerated Development.

Chavkin, N. F., & Gonzalez, D. L. (1995).  Forging partnerships between Mexican American parents and the schools.  ERIC Digest.  Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed388489.html

Dana, R. H. (1993).  Multicultural assessment perspectives for professional psychology.  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

DeBord, K. B., & Reguero de Atiles, J. T. (1999, Spring).  Latino parents: Unique preferences for learning about parenting.  The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues, 4.  27 pars.  Available: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pub/1999/latino.html

Espinosa, L. M. (1995).  Hispanic involvement in early childhood programs.  ERIC Digest.  Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed382412.html 

Fong, R., & Furuto, S. B. (2001).  Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions, and evaluations.  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Guide for choosing parenting curricula I (1992).  Columbia, MO: ParentLink.

Heath, H. (1998).  Choosing parenting curricula based on the interests, needs, and preferences of the parents who will use it.  Available: http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/Heath/Heath.html 

How are the children?  Report on early childhood development and learning (1999).  Available: http://npin.org/library/2001/n00530/n00530.html

How many children?  2000 Census Data (2001, April).  Step by step: Toward Missouri’s future, 12.  Available: http://oseda.missouri.edu/step/vol12/no2/step0401.html 

Hughes, R. (1994).  A framework for developing family life education programs.  Family Relations, 43, 74-80.

Inger, M. (1992).  Increasing the school involvement of Hispanic parents.  ERIC Digest No. 80.  NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed350380.html

Jacobson, A. L., Huffman, J. B., & Rositas de Cantu, M. C. (1998).  Parent involvement training with Hispanic parents.  The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 65, 30-37.

Kagan, S. L. (1995).  The changing face of parenting education.  ERIC Digest.  Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed382406.htm 

Lee, C. C. (1995).  Counseling for diversity: A guide for school counselors and related professionals. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Lee, C. C., & Richardson, B. L. (1991).  Multicultural issues in counseling: New approaches to diversity.  Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) (1997).  Developing effective messages and materials for Hispanic/Latino audiences.  Available: http://www.health.org/govpubs/MS703/index.htm

Negroni-Rodriguez, L. K., & Morales, J. (2001).  Individual and family assessment skills with Latino/Hispanic Americans.  In R. Fong & S. B. Furuto (Eds.) Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions, and evaluations (pp. 132-146).  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Passel, J. S., & Fix, M. (2001). U.S. immigration at the beginning of the 21^st century.  Urban Institute.  Available: http://www.urban.org/TESTIMON/passel_fix_08-02-01.html

Powell, D. R. (1990). Parent education and support programs.  ERIC Digest.  Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed320661.html

Puig, M. (2001).  Organizations and community intervention skills with Hispanic Americans.  In R. Fong & S. B. Furuto (Eds.) Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions, and evaluations (pp. 269-284).  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Reppucci, N. D., Britner, P. A., & Woolard, J. L. (1997).  Preventing child abuse and neglect through parent education.  Baltimore: Brooks.

Robertson, A. S. (2001, March-April).  Integrating evaluation into parenting programs.  NPIN Parent News.  Available: http://npin.org/pnews/2001/pnew301/int301d.html

Romo, H. (1993).  Mexican immigrants in high schools: Meeting their needs.  ERIC Digest.  Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed357905.html 

Santos, R., & Milagros-Reese, D. (1999).  Selecting culturally and linguistically appropriate materials:  Suggestions for service providers.  ERIC Digest.  Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Education.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed431546.html

Schwartz, W. (1996).  Hispanic preschool education: An important opportunity.  ERIC/CUE Digest No. 113.  NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed405398.html

Sosa, A. S. (1990).  Making education work for Mexican-Americans: Promising community practices.  ERIC Digest.  Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.  Available: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed319580.html

Sosa, A. S.  (1996).  Involving Hispanic parents in improving educational opportunities for their children.  The University of Texas at San Antonio.  Available: http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/pathways/newimmigrant/parents.htm

Sue, D. W., Ivey, A. E., & Pederson, P. B. (1996).  A theory of multicultural counseling and therapy.  Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

U.S. Census Bureau (2000, December).  Geographic comparison table: Missouri.  Available: http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_PL_U_GCTPL_ST2_geo_
id=04000US29.html

U.S. Census Bureau (2002, February).  State and county quickfacts: Missouri.  Available: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29000.html

Vacc, N. A., DeVaney, S. B., & Wittmer, J. (1995).  Experiencing and counseling multicultural and diverse populations (3^rd ed.).  Bristol, PA: Accelerated Development.  

Zapata, J. T. (1995).  Counseling Hispanic children and youth.  In C. C. Lee (Ed.) Counseling for diversity: A guide for school counselors and related professionals (pp. 85-108).  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Zuniga, M. E. (2001).  Latinos: Cultural competence and ethics.  In R. Fong & S. B. Furuto (Eds.) Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions, and evaluations (pp. 47-60).  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.  

Site maintained by: Parentlink@missouri.edu Last revised: 04/27/05