Almost three decades after appealing to them as children, Nickelodeon is now targetting the same group as parents.

The first move in Nick's new strategy is ParentsConnect.com, a social-networking site that Nickelodeon launched last month - but hasn't yet branded as a Nickelodeon offering. The site, which features message boards and video blogs, is in the last stage of beta-testing, according to the New York Times. But the site has already attracted some blue-chip advertisers, including State Farm Insurance and automaker Nissan, which is promoting its Quest minivan.

ParentsConnect will reward users who frequently update their profiles, such as giving them updates on message board topics they choose to track. The site is moderated by a group of 21 "host parents" who oversee the message boards as well as contribute to blogs. Seeking to encourage interaction, the company has already added blogs for users based on feedback recently during the beta test, and may also eventually give users the ability to sell items on the site.

Nickelodeon is planning the official launch for January, and expects the website to become profitable by early 2008.