Despite the prevalence of parenthood among adults with mental illness, mental health systems have traditionally served individual patients through categorical funding streams that do not allow for family-focused services. Over the last decade, however, there has been increased attention to parents with mental illness and their children. In some cases, this increased awareness has led to the availability of funding and the development of innovative programs for parents with mental illness in the United States and elsewhere. Programs for parents have generally been developed on a small, local scale with limited funding, and have remained largely isolated from one another. As a result, we knew little about programs for parents or their impact on outcomes for adults and children. Before conclusions can be drawn about practices for parents with mental illness and their families, the development of an empirically supported evidence base is necessary. (Authors)