Strengthening Families

The Strengthening Families Program is an evidence-based prevention program for parents and children in higher risk families. SFP consists of parenting skills, children's life skills, and family skills training courses taught together in 2-hours group sessions preceded by a meal that includes informal family practice time and group leader coaching. SFP is available in a 7-week and 14-week format (one session per week) for parents with children ages 3-5, 6-11 and 12-16.  

The parenting sessions review appropriate developmental expectations and encourages:

  • Positive interaction with children (such as showing enthusiasm and attention for good behavior and letting the child take the lead in play activities)
  • Increasing attention and praise for positive behaviors
  • Positive family communication including active listening and reducing criticism and sarcasm
  • Family meetings to improve order and organization
  • Effective and consistent discipline including consequences and time-outs

The childrens skills training content focuses on:

  • communication skills to improve parents, peers, and teacher relationships
  • resilience skills
  • problems solving
  • peer resistance
  • feeling identification
  • anger management and coping skills

The family practice sessions allow the parents and children time to practice what they learned in their individual sessions in experiential exercises. This is also a time for the four group leaders to coach and encourage family members for improvements in parent/child interactions.

To learn more about the program visit www.strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org.  

For more information about bringing this program to your community contact Maria Rivera at 201-653-6776 Ext. 15 or M.Rivera@partners-in-prevention.com.