ᐊᓯᓃᕀ ᐱᔦᓯᐤ 

The Strengthening Families Program is a 14-session, science-based parenting skills, children’s life skills and family life skills training program specifically designed for high-risk families.

Parents and children participate in SFP, both separately and together. 

• Group Leader Manuals contain a complete lesson for every session. 
• Parents’ and children’s Handbooks/ Handouts are also provided for every session. 

SPF is three life skills courses – parent’s, children’s, family:

• Taught together once a week for 14 weeks.

Typical weekly class meeting:

• Dinner – Families sit together with Group Leaders (an option to the program, meal provided by host organization)
• 1st hour – separate Parent’s Group & Children’s Group (1 Group Leader for each group)
• 2nd hour – Families rejoin & separate: 2 family groups (1 parent & 1 children’s group leader each)

Group ages of children can be from:

• Age 3 – 5
• Age 6 – 11
• Age 12 – 16

Groups do not mix ages, one session will be with only age 3-5, another session will only have ages 6 - 11 and so on.

Staffing, Facilities & Services

Staffing:

2 Group Leaders & 1 Elder

Site:

2 Group Rooms

Services & Materials Provided:

Participants:

• Maximum 6 families per group – 2 Adults & 2 Children max per family.
• Participant workbooks and materials provided.
• Incentives for Recruitment and Retention – Meals, small rewards, a small graduation and Certificate of Completion.

Outcomes & Evaluation

SFP is the first research-based parenting program designed specifically for substance-abusing parents and their kids. Original randomized control funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)(1982-1986) and over 15 independent multi-cultural replications (African, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American & Canadian) have found:

Parents:

• Increases parenting skills
• Increases marital communication
• Decreases children’s negative acting-out
• Decreases family conflict
• Decreases stress, depression, substance abuse

Children:

Increases children’s social skills

• Increases cooperation, pro-social friends
• Improves school performance
• Decreases depression, misconduct, aggression
• Decreases tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse

Family:

• Increases family cohesion
• Improves family planning and organization

SFP outcome measures include standardized clinical assessments. Includes a retrospective pre-test and post-test as well as a pre-test and post-test.