RUSH Outcomes

Our programs offer poor parents the chance to transform how they parent and to offset some of the impairments caused by mental health problems.

Nearly 83% of 4 year olds enrolled in First Teachers@home pass the indices used for kindergarten assessment instruments. Importantly, about 68% of parents stated that they are “interacting” with their children more than they did before starting the program.

When queried about what that means, typically they say that instead of having their children watch television, they are talking to their children. Some say that they are spending more “quality time” with their children, without articulating what that means.

About 92% of parents report a higher self-confidence about their abilities to parent effectively.

Most parents say that they have changed how they discipline their children, and some mention specifically that they are much more careful about the words they use – they are more positive in
how they refer to their children, and say they don’t use negative language as casually as they did.

About two-thirds of the parents say that they don’t hit their children, but it is unclear how accurate this number really is. At the very least, it does reflect an understanding of the lower value of using this way to discipline.

>Research