Media Information

What is Triple P?

Triple P helps build positive behaviors in children, confidence in parents' abilities, and community support for raising children. Triple P is a system that shows even small changes can make a big difference to families.

The emphasis in Triple P is on developing positive skills and behaviors in children which prevents problems from occurring in common, everyday situations, and helps to foster positive, supportive family relationships.

Triple P consists of a multi-level strategy, recognizing that parents have differing needs and desires regarding the type, intensity and mode of assistance they may require. This tiered system is designed to maximize efficiency, contain costs and ensure the program has wide reach in the community.

The program targets five different developmental periods from infancy to adolescence. Within each developmental period the reach of the intervention can vary from being very broad (targeting an entire population) or quite narrow (targeting only high-risk children). Triple P has been developed through more than 25 years of research by Matt Sanders, Ph.D. and colleagues at The University of Queensland’s Parenting and Family Support Center. The system is already widely used throughout Australia and increasingly, throughout the world.

Building Connections, a federally funded initiative operated through the University of South Carolina, is working to disseminate the Triple P system of interventions in select counties in South Carolina. The goal is to make Triple P professional training available to practitioners who serve families with children in the birth though 7-year-old range in the following counties:

Low Country: Berkeley, Dorchester, Georgetown
Midlands/Pee Dee: Darlington, Kershaw, Sumter
Upstate: Laurens, Pickens, York

What does Triple P offer?

Triple P offers suggestions and ideas to help parents:

  • build positive relationships with their children
  • praise and encourage behavior they like
  • teach children new skills
  • set rules and give instructions that their children will follow
  • respond to misbehavior immediately, consistently and decisively
  • use discipline strategies that work
  • take care of themselves as parents.

There is no one right way to be a parent, but Triple P offers information, support and practical answers to everyday parenting concerns.

A variety of programs are available, depending on parents’ and childrens’ needs.

There are also Triple P parenting videos (available at your local library), tip sheets, workbooks and other helpful materials available.

The Aims of Triple P Are:

  • To make high quality parenting information available to all parents.
  • To promote the independence and health of families by enhancing parents' knowledge, skills and confidence.
  • To promote the development of non-violent, protective and nurturing environments for children.
  • To promote the development, growth, health and social competencies of young children.
  • To promote a communty supportive of parenting and parenting efforts.

Media contact:

Candace Chellew
Communications Coordinator
Building Connections Project
1334 Sumter Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803 978 7407
Fax: 803 978 7410
Email: chellew@gwm.sc.edu