The Queensland Government this week pledged an additional $AUD5.35 million to continue free Triple P access for parents and caregivers for another three years.

 

A two-year trial of free Triple P in Queensland (pop. 4.7 million) has been an outstanding success, with more than 85,000 parents taking up the opportunity to pick up new evidence-based parenting skills.

 

The new funding will allow group, individual, and online programs to continue to be available free for parents and carers of children up to 16 years.

 

Since the trial launched in September 2015, more than 145 services and individual providers have partnered with Triple P, with a total of 726 Triple P providers trained during this period.

 

This makes the project one of the largest population roll-outs of Triple P anywhere in the world, and the largest within a two-year timeframe.

 

Announcing the additional funding Queensland’s Minister for Child Safety Shannon Fentiman said:  “My hat goes off to all our Queensland mums and dads who want to do the best thing by their kids and raise them to be happy, healthy and confident, the future leaders of Queensland.”

 

Triple P founder Professor Matt Sanders congratulated all providers and organisations involved in the Queensland trial and welcomed the new funding, saying the current generation of Queensland parents of children and teenagers has an opportunity to establish a new, improved benchmark for parenting in Australia.

 

“Giving families free, easy access to quality parenting support is the mark of a state that wants to do better by its children, and I applaud the government for its initiative,” he said.

 

“Parents who know better, do better, and future generations will reap the benefits of an initiative that recognizes parenting is a skill that can be learned and enhanced.”

 

One of the partnering service providers is The Men’s Information and Support Association (MISA), which offers family programs and support to both men and women (although 70 percent of clients are male.)  MISA has delivered one-on-one Triple P to 176 families during the trial, including some of the most vulnerable and complex families in the community.  These included families working with the Department of Child Safety, fathers on parole from jail, and women struggling with domestic violence.

 

MISA’s Triple P coordinator Channara Shaw said it was extremely rewarding to hear feedback from families about the positive changes at home and in relationships.

 

“You are not going to get through to everyone, but most families are finding success,’’ she said. “And it’s great to hear about the success the dads are having with their kids.  Obviously, I’m a real Triple P fan. And we’ve had great support doing this from the whole team at Triple P International.”

 

Queensland parents can visit www.triplep-parenting.net to register for programs.  

 

Queensland agencies working with parents and families can contact qld@triplep.net to find out how to get involved and to access free Triple P training and resources.

 

Agencies around the world interested in details of the Queensland initiative or how similar projects could be implemented in other countries or jurisdictions should email contact@triplep.net

 

PICTURED:  Queensland Minister of Child Safety Shannon Fentiman.