A longitudinal study was made of a prevention-oriented early intervention program intended to help parents who had insufficient and inappropriate childrearing abilities. The program was designed for young parents with fewer than 5 years of childrearing experience; participants were referred from a child protection agency following investigation of inadequate child care. Parents were usually single females in their late teens and early twenties who had completed 1 year of secondary education and who received public aid. Their children were infants or toddlers who often showed some decrement in developmental progress. An eclectic, developmental, interactive research model was conceived to form the foundation for research and intervention goals and procedures. The model included prenatal, postnatal, infancy, and early childhood factors related to the prevention and occurrence of child abuse. After initial assessment of parent and child, parents individually received training involving positive reinforcement, ignoring, commands, and appropriate punishment in accordance with their needs and the developmental levels of their children. Therapists also trained parents in daily activities designed to improve the child's deficiencies and promote adaptive functioning. The treatment design compared the effectiveness of (1) child stimulation training and parent training with (2) parent training alone and (3) provision of agency services alone. Results indicated that participating parents improved in critical childrearing skills and reported fewer childrearing concerns and annoyances. (RH)