An estimated extra 140,000 parents and carers across Queensland – the birthplace of Triple P – are now able to access free Triple P support, thanks to a $6.6 million rollout.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman announced the state government initiative in July, and already more local families have begun to access the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program.

“I am passionate about making sure every Queensland child has the support they need to live happy and successful lives,” said Ms Palaszczuk at the official launch.

“This program is about giving parents a helping hand and access to strategies to build the skills and confidence they need to give their kids the best start in life”.

Over the two-year rollout, Triple P services in Queensland will enjoy a much higher public profile, with families continuing to choose a public or private provider and the type of Triple P suitable for their family based on their own preferences and situation.

The result of more than 30 years of ongoing research, Triple P, which was developed at the University of Queensland, is also the state’s biggest social services export and has helped millions of families in 25 countries. Over the years, many new interventions have been added to the Triple P system to keep pace with society’s and families’ changing needs. There are a range of intervention levels suitable for parents of children under 12, and also for parents of teenagers up to 16 years old.

Following on from recent high-profile successful population trials in the US and Ireland, it’s especially fitting for the home-grown international success story to be re-introduced to a new generation of local families.

Carol Markie-Dadds, project director at Triple P International  (the social enterprise created to disseminate Triple P around the world) congratulated the Queensland Government for providing universal access to an evidence-based system of parenting support that would have lasting impacts across the state.

“We know from evidence of large-scale rollouts of Triple P in other communities around the world that when parents become more confident about their role, significant change can occur,” said Ms Markie-Dadds.

Practitioners already working within both government and non-government organisations are being trained to deliver Triple P directly to parents. Depending on the number of trained providers in their local area, Queensland families can access a range of programs, including Seminars, Discussion Groups, Group Triple P, Primary Care and Standard Triple P, as well as Triple P Online, or any of the Teen Triple P programs.