The Dare To Be You program included preschoolers, ages 2 to 5, and their families, teachers, and related community members in four ethnically diverse areas in Colorado. Parents participated in a 24-hour educational curriculum where trained facilitators taught them responsibility, personal efficacy, self-esteem, communication and social skills, problem solving and decision-making skills, and child development and home-management strategies. Facilitators also provided them with booster sessions and monthly family group meetings and participated in periodic community events for ongoing support. The children were enrolled in a 20-hour educational program focusing on communications, responsibility, self-esteem, and problem solving.
Dare To Be You showed a dramatic improvement in the parents’ sense of competence, satisfaction with – and positive attitude about – being a parent, and use of nurturing family management strategies. There were substantial decreases in the parents’ use of harsh punishment, and significant increases in the children’s developmental levels compared with non-participant peers.