Two families, in which the children had been placed in foster care due to abuse and neglect by parents who had disabilities, were studied. In the first case, the mother was instructed in skills that our assessment suggested were important for her child's survival. The mother readily acquired and applied these skills, a fact reflected both in changes in her behavior and in changes in the child's well-being. In the second case, the parent's incremental resumption of child custody was made contingent upon completion of relevant parenting tasks. Initially, improvements in the completion of such tasks were evident, but over time and with the onset of militating factors, no further progress was made and all parental rights were terminated. The implications of these cases for behavior analysis and the effort to reunite and preserve families are discussed.DESCRIPTORS: child welfare and neglect, parent training, mentally retarded parents, family preservation Extreme opinions are often held about the competence of parents with developmental and other disabilities, especially mental retardation. At one extreme, such parents are presumed to be incapable of providing minimally adequate care for their children. At the other, any question whatsoever about the competence of parents with disabilities to care for their children is met with indignation and outrage. Therefore, when these parents perpetrate child abuse and neglect, the debate over their rights versus their competence to raise children is often particularly acrimonious.The resolution of child abuse and neglect cases involves caseworkers, service providers, juvenile or family courts, and attorneys for the state, parent, and child. Their collective actions are supposed to be guided by a complex, and sometimes conflicting, mix of federal and state (and sometimes county) law and regulations.We are grateful for the assistance of Donna