This paper provides information on working with parents of culturally different youth. Four topics are discussed: 1) general information on culturally different paretns, 2) parenting culturally different children during the preschool years, 3) parenting elementary school youth from culturally different homes, and 4) parenting culturally different adolescents. The paper delineates specific differences of various groups of parents such as Appalachian whites, blacks, Mexican Americans, Native Americans and Puerto Ricans in terms of the following: 1) family life styles, structure and family roles, 2) childrearing, 3) language patterns, and 4) interaction between educators and parents. The section of preschool years addresses the parent child interaction during the formative years and during the first three years. It also discusses infant/toddler programs for the culturally different, and home, group, and home center infant/toddler programs. Among the topics discussed in the third section are the McClain Family Strategies Model which is composed of two parts: 1) strategies parents may institute at home and 2) strategies that will strengthen the support of parents in school related activities. The last section defines the terms adolescents and sexuality. It addresses issues such as cultural influences and adolescents, parent-adolescent communication, and characteristics of adolescents. (Author/AM)