Families will continue to have access to an international parenting program developed at The University of Queensland, thanks to $5.35 million in Queensland Government funding.

A two-year trial of free Triple P in Queensland has been an outstanding success so far, with more than 85,000 parents, grandparents and carers picking up new parenting skills and strategies – which really work.

The new funding means parents of both younger children and teenagers can continue to access specialised Triple P programs for free. Parents can go to free group or individual sessions, or choose to do a self-paced online program.

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program founder and UQ Parenting and Family Support Centre director Professor Matt Sanders, said the program gave Queensland parents a valuable opportunity to improve the wellbeing of their families as well as their children’s life chances.

“The State Government’s decision to continue providing families free and easy access to quality parenting support is the mark of a state that wants to do better by its children,” Professor Sanders said.

“Parents who are educated with positive parenting strategies can parent knowing they are giving the best chance to their future generations.

“Parenting is a skill that can be learned and enhanced via our evidence-based parenting programmes.”

Triple P has helped millions of families around the world over the past 30 years, including 85,000 Queensland families who have received free evidence-based parenting support after the Queensland Government’s initial $6.6 million investment in 2015.

With the continued funding, UQ commercial partner and Brisbane-based company, Triple P International, will provide co-ordination, training and resources for a range of organisations to offer Triple P programs at no cost to families.

Triple P includes an online program, topic-specific seminars, parent discussion groups, one-on-one consultations and small group-based and individual face-to-face programs.

UQ Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences executive dean Professor Bruce Abernethy congratulated Professor Sanders for the continued success of the program, which has been the subject of more than 280 research trials and evaluations around the world.

“Backed by more than 30 years of research, Triple P has improved the behaviour and emotional health of parents and their children worldwide,” Professor Abernethy said.

“We are very proud of Triple P’s continued success and the recognition it has received internationally from governments that have implemented the program, in places including the United States, Iran, Indonesia, the UK, Japan, Ireland, Chile, Denmark and The Netherlands.’’

More information on Triple P and available sessions is here.

Media: Professor Matt Sanders, m.sanders@psy.uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 7553; Paddy Hintz, PFSC Communications, p.hintz@uq.edu.au, +61 431 806 822