Parenting skills do make a difference. "If parents get help, so many ills go away- teenage addictions, suicidal tendencies, teenage pregnancy, and dropping out of school," says Darcy Dixon, family and consumer sciences agent in Pinal County. "When we looked at societal problems, we realized everything pointed to the health of families."

More than 40 paraprofessionals from the Department of Economic Security, Head Start, Pinal County Cities in Schools, and other agencies are joining with Extension professionals and volunteers to work with at-risk families, often one-on-one or in small groups. The Family and Community Connection Program has been active for eight years.

The Extension-developed curriculum includes child development, parenting skills, home management, life skills, and lists of resources. Men, as well as women, take part in the program.

Many of the volunteers and staff once took part in the classes themselves. They range from 16 to 75 years of age, come from the same communities as the participants, and represent all ethnic backgrounds.

"They can relate to the families they're trying to help," Dixon says.

Participants and volunteers are recruited through newspaper publicity. Extension staff explain the program at public meetings, and also distribute informational flyers to schools, social service and mental health agencies, doctors' offices, and the juvenile court system.

Many people refer themselves to the Family and Community Connections program because they know they need to improve their relationship with their children. The program has expanded to included court-referred truancy cases, prisoners about to be released who will be going back to families, and welfare-to-work participants. Some are parents of infants and toddlers, but some are trying to deal with teenagers.

The program expanded statewide three years ago and nearly 1,700 families participated. In Pinal County, 500 families were supported through home visitation and small group education.

The key is keeping classes small, with no more than 10 participants at one time. They work with volunteers and paraprofessionals, but also teach each other to communicate better. They learn what community resources are available and how to make use of them.

Eighty-nine percent of those responding to a state-wide survey reported that the discipline they use at home with their children is less harsh and more effective. Ninety-four percent said their lives have changed in a positive way as a result of the classes.

The program has expanded to include audiences not previously reached. Pinal County court systems sponsor a series of educational classes attended by offending youth and their guardians. These classes definitely work. In 2000, the overall recidivism rate dropped to five to ten percent. In the town of Eloy, the rate was zero percent.