Whether you are trying to determine the best feeding schedule for an infant, teaching a preschooler to write their name for the first time, or helping a teenager navigate the complexity of adolescence, one thing is constant – parenting is hard. In fact, in a recent parenting survey through the Pew Research Center, 62% of parents reported that parenting was harder than they thought it would be. This percentage likely increases significantly for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents who also have the added responsibility of parenting children who have experienced trauma. Regardless of how many children you care for or what your family structure looks like, it is clear that “parenting is not for the faint of heart.” This is one of the reasons Bloom is always looking for new ways to provide our foster, adoptive, kinship, and biological parents with the resources and support their families need to thrive.
As part of this endeavor, Bloom is excited to offer the Triple P Positive Parenting Program as a tool to help parents learn practical strategies to build strong, healthy relationships, confidently manage their children’s behavior, and prevent problems from developing. Backed by more than 35 years of research, Triple P is known as one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world. It has been used in more than 25 countries across different cultures and socio-economic groups and with many different kinds of family structures.
As a behavioral family intervention based on social learning principles, Triple P aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, confidence, self-sufficiency, and resourcefulness of parents; promote nurturing, safe, engaging, non-violent, and low-conflict environments for children; and promote children’s social, emotional, language, intellectual, and behavioral competencies through positive parenting practices (2022). Triple P also provides participants with a safe and supportive environment to learn these skills with other parents while sharing the joys and challenges of parenting together.
Bloom currently offers two formats of Triple P. The first is Level 3 Discussion Groups, which consist of 2-hour small group discussions around commonly encountered parenting problems such as disobedience, fighting and aggression, mealtimes, bedtimes, and managing shopping with children. Teen discussion groups cover topics such as getting teenagers to cooperate, coping with teenagers’ emotions, building teenagers’ survival skills, and reducing family conflict. Parents can attend as many discussion groups as they like, whether that includes one 2-hour session or multiple sessions throughout the year.
Bloom also offers Triple P Level 4 Group. This format provides a broad-based parenting intervention delivered over eight weeks. It includes five (2-hour) group sessions and three (15- to 30-minute) individual phone consultations to assist parents with independent problem-solving while they practice skills at home.
Regardless of the format parents choose, each family will receive resources and support from an accredited practitioner who aims to partner with them on their parenting journey.
Bloom’s Triple P program can be provided both virtually and in-person with a wide range of parenting groups, including Bloom foster, kinship, and adoptive parents across Georgia, as well as biological parents and caregivers in Fayette and Spalding County through Bloom’s Family Resource Center. For more information about joining a Triple P group, email Bloom’s Clinical Director, Dr. Katie New, at k.new@bloomouryouth.org. We look forward to serving Bloom families through this exciting new program!
Written by Katie New, Bloom Clinical Director
About the Author: Katie New works at Bloom as the Clinical Director where she oversees the implementation of therapeutic services, facilitates training of foster parents and staff, and ensures clinical fidelity to trauma-informed care. Katie is dually licensed as a Licensed Master Social Worker and Registered Nurse with a passion for serving children and families who have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. Katie has a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Social Work with Children, Adolescents and Families from the University of Alabama.
