Issues in working with mentally retarded parents are considered. Experiences of the Intensive Services to Families at Risk Project (ISFAR), an effort to prevent the need for foster care by improving the quality of care for abused and neglected children in their own families, are recounted. Among problems facing retarded parents are a tendency to overgeneralize instructions, difficulty in adjusting parenting styles to changes in child's development, and lack of such vital resources as transportation for medical services or clothing. ISFAR services addressed child care knowledge, parent child interaction, resource deficits, and family supports. In addition, parents were helped to interact with various human service agencies. Activity groups were used to improve parenting abilities, and individual sessions were devoted to unique needs. Benefits of the program are traced, and the need for an array of services is stressed, including skill training, home visiting, and casework designed to reduce resource and social problems. (CL)