Does anyone experience students whose success is being undermined by their families? 

For example, students are "forced" to go away with the family instead of staying home to study. Or families let students start school, promising to help with child care, but then rescind the help a few weeks later. 

Any thoughts on how to deal with this phenomenon?

I teach a modular program, so a few students are always completing their education as new students are coming aboard. I find the students who've been through the program, or have been in it longer, have established their own type of peer pressure. They are constantly asking the other students how they will proceed once out of school, and encourage them to take the national exams in addition to receiving their state license. They even "pressured" my new co-instructor to take her national exams. Seeing all of the success of these students has driven some of the newer ones to… >>>

I recently took over a program that was a bit in the "dark ages". Many students complained when the former instructor retired, even going so far as to say the company "forced" her out. Since then, I have moved the program onto the standard curriculum, and updated much of the information given to the students, including lectures, activities, labs, etc. I've also integrated use of computers whenever possible, as the industry is heavily reliant on computers and technology. For a while now, I've been hearing students comment positively that they are pleased with the direction of the program, even if… >>>