Empowerment program puts vulnerable mums and dads back in the ‘ParentZone’

A skills-building program which empowers parents to improve communication with their children and families has been given the thumbs up by participants and the welfare sector.

Anglicare Victoria’s Parents Building Solutions program, part of its acclaimed ParentZone initiative funded by the Department of Education and Training, was developed over a 10 year-period in response to the needs of parents attending support groups.

Program Team Leader Jonathon Cummins said the program responded to the unique needs and learning styles parents required with the results forming a manual which will now be used by practitioners.

“Parents were referred to the program by schools, friends, maternal and child health nurses, kindergar­tens, family members, neighbourhood centres, libraries and through self-referral,” he said.

“They came seeking ways to help themselves become calmer, more patient and consistent and to be better able to deal with their own feelings.

“They went away learning to stop yelling at their children; instilling family rules and consequences and listening better to their children. They also reported their children’s behaviour improving remarkably and interactions within their families becoming much more positive.”

The results showed that:

  • 90% of parents reported that their children’s behaviour had changed for the better after the program; and
  • 88% noted that interactions in their family had also improved.

Other benefits included:

  • Improved ability to manage their own and their children’s feelings
  • Feeling more calm and confident
  • Being able to set consequences
  • Having more fun and advanced communication with their child
  • Children accepting boundaries and consequences
  • Children having improved communication
  • Children were calmer, happier and more secure

Parliamentary Secretary Judith Graley MP and Anglicare Victoria CEO Paul McDonald today launched the findings and the manual on the United Nations Global Day of Parents.

Mr McDonald said the program promoted positive parenting and was one of more than 20 programs run by Anglicare which directly assisted people facing family violence.

“Parents Building Solutions is a companion program to our Beyond the Violence program which the Royal Commission recently identified as a best practise model,” he said.

“This particular program works so well because it acknowledges the changing role of parents as the child develops from birth to independence, and draws on a strong evidence base in relation to parent and child development.”

The State Government in this year’s budget announced $168 million for the Roadmap for Reform: strong families, safe children initiative. The initiative will provide prevention and early intervention services to vulnerable families and children among other key enhancements.

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