Improving Parent-Child Relationships to Prevent Child Maltreatment
Official title: Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care: Effectiveness Trial of a Primary Care Based Parenting Intervention to Prevent Child Maltreatment
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11146663 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps parents and children build stronger relationships in primary care settings to prevent child maltreatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $632,673 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD103902-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146663 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This program is designed for parents who may be at risk of child maltreatment or who struggle with punitive parenting styles, along with their children aged 0-11 years.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not experiencing challenges in parent-child relationships or those outside the target age range for children may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
This effort focuses on strengthening parent-child relationships and teaching positive discipline techniques to prevent child maltreatment. It addresses how harsh parenting can lead to child behavioral problems and increased parental stress, creating a cycle of negative interactions. The program, called PriCARE/Cariño, is specifically designed to be delivered in primary care clinics, making it more accessible for families, especially those from low-income and minority backgrounds. By offering support in this familiar setting, the program aims to help parents learn new, effective ways to interact with their children and manage behavior, fostering a more positive and nurturing family environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could help families develop healthier relationships, reduce harsh parenting practices, and ultimately prevent child maltreatment.
How similar studies have gone: While other parenting programs exist, PriCARE/Cariño is distinct due to its development and adaptation for primary care settings and its focus on engaging low-income and minority parents.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schilling, Samantha S — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Schilling, Samantha S
Related research
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Improving parent-child relationships to prevent child maltreatment
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.