Increasing Parenting Supports Across Spartanburg County

Today’s blog is written by Angela Talley Robinson, Positive Parenting Program Initiative Director, Hope Center for Children

Healthy Families Initiative

In 2017 Mary Black Foundation in partnership with Children’s Trust of South Carolina and Triple P America launched the Healthy Families Initiative, with Hope Center for Children serving as the activating/coordinating agency. This Initiative is designed to expand Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) across Spartanburg County to enhance the knowledge, skills and confidence of parents in order to prevent behavioral, emotional and developmental problems in children and adolescents. Since our first session, delivered in July 2017, we have served over 1000 non-duplicated participants by delivering over 135 seminars and over 60 discussion groups as well as our primary care (one-on-one sessions) and the online services. Our goal is to reach 4000 by the end of 2021.

Collaboration

As we recognize that parenthood is the most important and rewarding job, as well as, the most difficult job, HCFC along with eight other Implementing Agencies to include Spartanburg Pediatric Health Center, Meeting Street Academy, Middle Tyger Center, School Districts 2 & 3, Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network(SPIHN), Upstate Fatherhood Coalition and Upstate Family Resource Center, has continued to offer this parenting support system on a continuum in order to meet the needs of the community.

Positive Parenting Program

The Positive Parenting Program Initiative offers various Levels of Triple P ranging from a light touch providing general parenting information to more intense sessions with a narrower focus on parenting skills. The levels offered within this Initiative include: Level 2 Seminar, Level 3 Discussion Group, Level 3 Primary Care and Level 4 Standard online. In addition to the levels listed, we offer Triple P Teen online. The online curriculum allows parents to access services at anytime from anywhere. Hope Center for Children is available to offer additional support as participants’ maneuver through the online curriculum. In 2018 we expanded our efforts to provide additional support to parents raising teenagers. We have trained 34 practitioners across Spartanburg in Teen Primary Care Triple P with the following agencies: HCFC, UFRC, SPIHN, City Law Enforcement, City Parks & Recreation, Big Brother Big Sisters, Whitlock Flexible Learning Center, Am I My Brother’s Keeper, United Way, Positive Thinking, Department of Social Services, and School Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7. As these Practitioners interface with parents, they will have the opportunity to equip them with strategies and tools to assist them when they are facing struggles in raising their teenagers.

Other Parenting Supports

The Stay Positive marketing campaign is underway by saturating the public with information about Triple P to increase the participation and awareness of the Tripe P program and ensure that the public is aware that this program is available. Our slogan, “This Parenting Thing? You Got This!” addresses all parents who have questions or concerns when raising their children; therefore, normalizing the need for parenting support. The overarching goal of this initiative is to increase parenting support across Spartanburg county, to have a positive impact on the level of engagement that parents have with their children and to cause a reduction in maltreatment rates. Research around this model has proven to lead to excellent community outcomes, and more importantly, parents have expressed deep gratitude for the support!

Contact

For more information: Please visit the Healthy Families Initiative webpage at www.maryblackfoundation.org/community-initiatives to to learn more about initiative. You can also visit the teen website www.connectspartanburg.org/parenting-resources to make a referral as well as hopecfc.org. Please visit us on Facebook at Triple P-Positive Parenting Program Initiative.  You may also contact Angela Talley Robinson at arobinson@hopecfc.org or 864-583-7688 ext. 151.