A three-year randomized controlled trial found that the benefits continued to grow after the program ended.
SAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESS Newswire / July 13, 2026 / A new study by researchers at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research found that the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP) produced significant improvements in parental engagement and early childhood development that persisted after the program ended. The findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting two-generation approaches to improving outcomes for families.
The randomized controlled trial, often considered the "gold standard" of research, followed 245 families with children ages 0-4 in Hidalgo County, Texas. Researchers found that parents who participated in PCEP became more knowledgeable about child development, more confident in their role as their child's first teacher, and more actively engaged in their children's daily learning.
Children in participating families also demonstrated significant developmental gains across language and literacy, cognition, and motor skills. By the end of the program, children who participated in PCEP were around four to five months ahead of their peers in key areas of development, improvements that are comparable to or exceed those reported in many established early childhood interventions.
Most notably, though, researchers found that children's developmental gains continued to grow after the program ended. At follow-up, children who participated in PCEP were 6.5 months ahead of the control group in motor development, a nearly 2-month increase. This widening of the developmental advantage is an uncommon finding in early childhood intervention research, according to Flávio Cunha, PhD, professor of economics at Rice University and director of the Center for Economic Mobility at the Kinder Institute, who served as the lead researcher for the study.
"The benefits kept growing after the program ended," said Cunha. "This is not typical in this literature. This is a huge exception to what we have seen."
The findings are detailed in The Impact of the Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP) on School Readiness and Parental Engagement, a brief from the three-year randomized controlled trial conducted between 2022 and 2025.
The study also found that the program's impact extended beyond parenting practices and child development. At follow-up, parents reported higher perceived economic mobility, greater life satisfaction, and improved financial security, suggesting that two-generation approaches can influence wider measures of well-being.
"PCEP didn't teach the child a trick that wears off. It does something more," Cunha said. "The evidence shows that the lesson outlasts the program. PCEP changed the parent, and the parent kept teaching after we left."
Unlike many early childhood programs that focus exclusively on children, the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program works simultaneously with parents and children. While children participate in a research-based early childhood education classroom, parents receive culturally responsive instruction in child development, positive parent-child interactions, toy making using everyday household materials, leadership development, community resource navigation, and personalized home visits.
According to AVANCE CEO Teresa Granillo, PhD, MSW, the findings uphold AVANCE's long-held belief that parents are their children's first teachers and that strengthening the home learning environment creates lasting opportunities for children to succeed.
"This is the third randomized controlled trial that we have participated in over the course of our history. However, the results from this particular study are far stronger than what we have ever seen," Granillo said, adding that the findings provide important evidence for communities, policymakers, and organizations seeking proven strategies to improve school readiness while strengthening families.
The study arrives as communities across the country continue searching for evidence-based approaches that improve educational outcomes while addressing the broader conditions that influence children's development. By demonstrating measurable gains across both generations, researchers say the findings strengthen the case for investing in responsive programs that empower parents alongside their children.
"Part of our vision is to ensure that all children and families have the resources they need to thrive," Granillo said. "This evidence further supports our motivation to expand our partnerships and the reach of the Parent-Child Education Program across the nation."
About AVANCE
AVANCE is a national nonprofit organization that walks alongside children and families to achieve social and economic justice. AVANCE serves over 18,000 individuals annually through responsive, two-generation programming that combines parenting education, early childhood education, and family support with access to resources and opportunities, including pathways to college, workforce development, and high-quality child care.
Media Contact
Alex Chandler, AVANCE Chief Communications Officer
achandler@avance.org
SOURCE: AVANCE Inc
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