Effects of Monetary Incentives on Engagement in the PACE Parenting Program

Abstract

This study evaluated parental engagement in an 8-week parenting program offered through daycare centers that were randomly assigned to a monetary incentive or nonincentive condition. Of an initial sample of 1,050 parents who rated their intent to enroll in the program, 610 went on to enroll—319 in the incentive and 291 in the nonincentive condition. Results showed that intent to enroll predicted enrollment irrespective of condition. Further, parents did not enroll in greater numbers, attend more sessions, or participate more actively in the incentive condition. Incentives encouraged some parents, often younger and socioeconomically disadvantaged, to enroll but had no effect on their attendance. Of importance, these results could not be accounted for by between-condition differences in child and family or in daycare characteristics.

This study was supported by grant R49/CCR 522339 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the first author. The support and encouragement of Linda Anne Valle, Ph.D., and Michele Hoover, M.S., is gratefully acknowledged, as is their critical feedback on an earlier version of the article. This study would not have been possible without the collaboration of Marsha Hearn-Lindsey, Director, Child Care Answers, Indianapolis; of all the parents and children who participated in various aspects of the research; and of staff members who played major roles in data collection and program implementation, including Amanda Mosby, Sharon Hampton, and Stephanie Wynder. Their help and encouragement are gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

^a n = 291.

^b n = 391.

^c Reduced degrees of freedom reflect the fact that some parents declined to report family income.

Note: ICC = intraclass correlation.

∗∗∗p < .001.