One County's Incredible Success Story

Judge Larry Duff started it all for Minidoka County in the Southern region of Idaho. In the fall of 1996, Judge Duff and another Idaho magistrate were talking about programs that might help troubled teens. The other judge said, "If I could have only one program, I’d take the Parent Project® any day!"

Armed with all the information he had heard from his friend, Judge Duff went back to Minidoka County and talked with his Probation Staff and a "get it done now" nurse from the Minidoka School District. They decided to join forces to implement the Parent Project®. In February 1997, a probation officer and the same nurse attended the Parent Project® Facilitator Training in Ontario, California. In June, the first Minidoka Parent Project® class was held, with Judge Duff in attendance.

The first and second classes were so successful, the decision was made to expand the program. The Minidoka School District committed to in-service at least 80% of all of their staff; that meant janitors, cooks, teachers, office staff, and principals (and everyone in between). More facilitators were trained. The Parent Project® Teen class was added. The Probation Department added two "Trackers" who spot check the teens at school, at home and in the community. Judge Duff began to Order all convicted teens and their parents to attend Parent Project® classes. Completion of the course became a prerequisite for release from probation and other terms of the sentence.

It has been that way ever since, and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. The following statistics illustrate what happened in Minidoka County from August 1997 (when full implementation of the Parent Project® began) through December 1999:

• The number of petitions filed for juvenile offenses fell 33%.

• The number of minors on probation for any cause fell by more than 30%.

• The number of drug-related probation violations was down by 20%.

• The number of days spent by youth in detention fell by 24%.

• School dropouts and expulsions dropped by 95%.

Last August, neighboring Cassia County began active implementation of The Parent Project® in their schools. Early figures show the number of petitions filed against minors in Cassia county has already dropped 26.5%.

That’s success in anybody’s book!

Why is The Parent Project® so successful? Last December, we visited Judge Duff, Nurse Educator Nancy Kunow, and Probation Department Counselor, Dixie Tate. Dixie is available to provide additional service and guidance to parents and teens. We met many dedicated folks, including teachers, middle school administrators and numerous Parent Project® parents and teens. We interviewed a teen, whose turnaround captured our hearts, and sang Christmas carols with two busloads of Parent Project® teens and their parents. We asked all of these people what had made such a difference.