AbstractAlternative mental health services for children such as parent training are expanding across the country. Yet the clinical picture of the children served in these programs is incomplete. In two studies we compare scores from standardized behavior problem inventories for groups of children from a parent training class with scores from groups of children from a clinic setting and a nonclinic setting. In study one we used the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), an instrument that primarily assesses externalizing problems. In study two, we used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), an instrument that assesses both externalizing and internalizing problems. The results from both studies show the scores from the parent training groups were equivalent to scores from the clinic groups and were significantly higher than the scores from the nonclinic groups. These results suggest parent training classes do serve children with clinically significant problems.