A program we’re funding is helping to reduce parent’s stress, anxiety, and depression, while building parenting skills at the same time.
Called Triple P (or Positive Parenting Program), the program has been used throughout the world to improve parenting skills and prevent child abuse by fostering positive and nurturing relationships between parents and children. Triple P is also effective in helping parents to manage difficult child behavior.
We’re funding Triple P services in partnership with Contra Costa Health Services, Mental Health. We each allocate $75,000 for the program, with our funding used for parents with young children. The nonprofit C.O.P.E. Family Support Center provides some of the Triple P classes and trains organizations to implement the curriculum. To date, 62 providers have been trained. Classes take place throughout the county, including the First 5 Centers, family homeless shelters, and children’s mental health programs.
Participating parents attend weekly group sessions and receive coaching to help them develop strategies and meet individual goals.
“Triple P is the best parenting curriculum I’ve ever seen,” says Terry Webb, a case manager at SHELTER, Inc’s family homeless shelter. “It’s not a cookie-cutter kind of parenting program. It can absolutely fit any family, in any situation. It works for everyone.”
Last year, 229 parents with children under five participated in Triple P classes. Among participating parents, 94% reported the classes helped them to learn new skills, while 90% said their relationships with other family members improved after completing the program. The program also helped improve difficult child behavior.
Here’s what parents have to say about Triple P:
A father taking Triple P at a First 5 Center:
“I would recommend it for anyone who is having issues at home, who feels they want to make their relationship better with their child, or who wants to be a better father or mother. If you have it inside you and you really want to do it, this is a program that will help you.”
A mother raising two children with autism:
“Triple P put the information together. It was helpful because we’re parents of kids with disabilities. If one person had a particularly challenging situation, then we could say ‘try using this strategy.’ It was like a think tank really.”
A mother at a homeless shelter:
“The Triple P class has made me realize how I can be different with my daughter. Instead of saying, ‘no , no , no’ all the time, I can give her more phrases and be more positive toward her. And now she’s able to express herself more instead of crying.”
See more parent testimonials about Triple P, mostly filmed at two family homeless shelters in Contra Costa County.
To learn more about Triple P classes, contact C.O.P.E. Family Support (925) 689-5811.