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Resources for Parents & Families

Prevention Resources For Parents & Families

Our resources for families are geared toward improving parent-child relationships, reducing the risk of abuse and neglect, and strengthening communication and parenting skills.

Be sure to check out the RHA blog on our homepage for more information on prevention resources for parents and families.

Children in Between (CIB)

Goal: This program aims to reduce the parental conflict, loyalty pressures, and communication problems that can place significant stress on children.

Program Description: Formerly known as Children in the Middle, this educational intervention for divorcing families consists of one to two 90 to 120 minute classroom sessions and can be tailored to meet specific needs. The intervention teaches specific parenting skills, particularly good communication skills, to reduce the familial conflict experienced by children. Each parent attending classes typically receives two booklets (“What About the Children” and “Children in Between”) that give advice for reducing the stress of divorce/separation on children and promote practice of the skills taught in the course. Each parent also watches the intervention video, which illustrates how children often feel caught in the middle of their parents’ conflicts.

Nurturing Parent Programs (NPP)

Goals: The goals of NPP are to

  • Increase parents’ sense of self-worth, personal empowerment, empathy, bonding, and attachment.
  • Increase the use of alternative strategies to harsh and abusive disciplinary practices.
  • Increase parents’ knowledge of age-appropriate developmental expectations.
  • Reduce abuse and neglect rates.

Program Description: NPP consists of family-based programs for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The programs were developed to help families who have been identified by child welfare agencies for past child abuse and neglect or who are at high risk for child abuse and neglect.

NPP instruction focuses on “re-parenting,” or helping parents learn new patterns of parenting to replace their existing, learned, abusive patterns. By completing questionnaires and participating in discussion, role-play, and audiovisual exercises, participants learn how to nurture themselves as individuals and in turn build their nurturing family and parenting skills as dads, moms, sons, and daughters. Participants develop their awareness, knowledge, and skills in five areas:

  1. age-appropriate expectations
  2. empathy, bonding, and attachment
  3. nonviolent nurturing discipline
  4. self-awareness and self-worth
  5. empowerment, autonomy, and healthy independence

Participating families attend sessions either at home or in a group format with other families. Group sessions combine concurrent separate experiences for parents and children with shared “family nurturing time.” In home-based sessions, parents and children meet separately and jointly during a 90 minute lesson once per week for 15 weeks.

Two group facilitators are recommended for every seven adults participating in the program. Two additional group facilitators are recommended for every 10 children participating. NPP can be implemented by professionals or paraprofessionals in fields such as social work, education, recreation, and psychology who have undergone NPP facilitator training and have related experience.

Positive Parenting Program (Triple P)

Goal: Triple P is designed to prevent social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems in children by enhancing their parents’ knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Program Description: The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is a multi-level system of parenting and family support strategies for families with children from birth to age 12, with extensions to families with teenagers ages 13 to 16. The program is founded on social learning theory and draws on cognitive, developmental, and public health theories. Triple P has five intervention levels of increasing intensity to meet each family’s specific needs. RHA Prevention Resource Centers offers Triple P Level 4 Group for parents of children up to age 12 and Triple P Level 4 Group Teen for parents of teenagers and pre-teens. This is offered as a class and the number of sessions ranges from 5 to 8 sessions, depending on the individual’s situation. Triple P offers a menu of practical strategies for parents.

Guiding Good Choices (GGC)

Goal: Guiding Good Choices seeks to strengthen and clarify family expectations for behavior, enhance the conditions that promote bonding within the family, and teach skills that allow children to resist drug use successfully.

Program Description: Guiding Good Choices (GGC) is a drug use prevention program that provides parents of children in grades 4 through 8 (9 to 14 years old) with the knowledge and skills needed to guide their children through early adolescence. The current intervention is a five-session curriculum that addresses preventing substance use in the family, setting clear family expectations regarding drugs and alcohol, avoiding trouble, managing family conflict, and strengthening family bonds. Sessions are interactive and skill based, with opportunities for parents to practice new skills and receive feedback, and use video-based vignettes to demonstrate parenting skills. Families also receive a family guide containing family activities, discussion topics, skill-building exercises, and information on positive parenting.

Talk It Up. Lock It Up!™

Goal: Provide parents with the knowledge and tools to have effective conversations with children regarding underage drinking and to secure alcohol in the home.

Talk Early & Often

Alcohol is the most widely used substance by teens and young adults. Parents are the #1 influence in their child’s decision not to drink. Here are a few strategies parents can use for strong & effective conversations with children.

  • Talk regularly with kids. Multiple short & regular conversations are better than one big talk.
  • Try to be objective and hear their point of view. Let them know they’re being heard.
      • Tip: It is helpful to use active listening and reflect back what you hear (e.g. I’m hearing that you feel overwhelmed, and that you think drinking helps you relax. Is that right?).
      • Tip: Use open ended questions to avoid short “yes” and “no” responses.
  • Discuss the negative effects alcohol has on mental & physical health as well as legal implications.
  • Communicate clear expectations to the kids in your home. Let them know you are paying attention and you’ll notice if they drink. This is also a good time for parents and kids to work together to develop consequences.
  • Work with kids on developing strategies to avoiding underage drinking situations.

Secure Alcohol

Kids are less likely to use alcohol if they do not have easy access to it. One the easiest places for kids find unsecured alcohol is often within their own home. Here are tips on how adults can secure alcohol within their home.

  • Remove alcohol from easy to reach locations (e.g. fridge, unlocked cabinets, garage, and unlocked cupboards).
  • Utilize cabinet locks, fridge drawer locks, or bottle locks. Store alcohol in one secure location and regularly monitor in the home.
  • Do your kids spend time with relatives or family friends? Encourage other adults to secure alcohol in their home.
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