Parents' persistence and certification in a two-generation education and training program

•Two-generation programs provide education services for parents and children together•This study examines parents’ persistence in a two-generation program, CareerAdvance®•16 months after enrolling in CareerAdvance®, 76% of parents attained at least one certificate and 59% were still enrolled•The majority of parents who left CareerAdvance® attained a certificate (68%).•Parents with high levels of material hardship and lower psychological distress were more likely to attain a certificate.

Two-generation programs provide education and training services for parents while their children attend early childhood education programs. This study examines the rates of persistence and certification of parents in one of the only two-generation interventions in the country under study, CareerAdvance®, which offers training in the healthcare sector to parents while their children attend Head Start (n = 92). Results indicate that 16 months after enrolling in CareerAdvance®, 76% of participants attained at least one workforce-applicable certificate of the program and 59% were still in the program. The majority of parents who left the program during the 16 months had attained a certificate (68%). Parents with high levels of material hardship were more likely to attain a certificate and stay enrolled in the program, and parents with higher levels of psychological distress were less likely to attain a certificate in the same time period. Implications for future two-generation programming are discussed.