Many free parenting education resources and services are available in North Carolina, including free Triple P Online, but not all parents realize that support is available.

A broad coalition of local and statewide family support, early childhood education and child welfare advocates welcomed the announcement, the culmination of many months of work.

Key organizations involved are Prevent Child Abuse NC, NC Partnership for Children, and NC Early Education Coalition, all part of the Think Babies™ NC Alliance. 

The announcement follows on from last month’s declaration of Positive Parenting Month across the state of California.

The official proclamation wording referred to a number of key issues driving the initiative. Among them are the increased burden on parents and families created by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding worries about health, finances, and employment and contributing to stress and anxiety in the home.

The Governor’s proclamation also made mention of other important factors driving the initiative, including that:

• many parents and caregivers feeling unprepared for the challenges of raising children;
• many free parenting education options are available and encouraging their use will help the health and wellbeing of all children in North Carolina;
• parent and caregiver education is vital to positive childhood development and can help reduce the risk of abuse and neglect, as well as strengthening family relationships;
• parenting education can include a wide variety of options, including online and virtual services, to meet each family’s unique needs; and
• a public health approach including well-trained service providers allows all families access to parenting information and education in ways that respect their beliefs, traditions, and customs.

Thanks to the North Carolina Learning Collaborative, Triple P’s Online course is available free to NC parents and caregivers in English and Spanish. Triple P Online now includes a COVID-19 module for parenting during uncertain times.

Other Triple P programs are also available free or at low cost in many counties throughout NC. For more information, visit www.triplep-parenting.com