Mothers learn parenting and employment skills and receive on-site health care.
Participating mothers have reduced alcohol and drug use, experienced deliveries with fewer complications, decreased hospital days at delivery, decreased arrests and increased employment. Participating mothers report decreased depression and decreased parenting stress. For their infants, child abuse and neglect have decreased, and growth and development have improved. Older children show increased ability to resist using drugs or alcohol. Curtis Lowery, M.D., UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, served as principal investigator with Cindy Crone, R.N., A.P.N., as program director.