Bringing the benefits of positive parenting and healthy communities to the world

The Triple P Positive Parenting Program is changing the lives of millions of families around the world and helping to build stronger, more resilient communities.

With more than 100,000 trained practitioners around the globe, the celebrated international program is the brainchild of leading researchers at The University of Queensland (UQ), and licensed to Triple P International Pty Ltd with the competitive market expertise of UQ’s commercialisation company, UniQuest.

Triple P has evolved into a comprehensive system of parenting programs for parents with children aged from birth to 16 years since its inception as Professor Matt Sanders’ PhD thesis at UQ in 1979.

Today, the Triple P program provides expertise and training via seminars, intensive group-based and one-on-one programs and is supported by a communications campaign that introduces parents to the concepts of positive parenting.

Triple P is endorsed by the United Nations as the world’s number one parenting program, has been translated into 21 languages and is estimated to have helped some 4 million children and their families.

Multiple research collaborators and students in Australia and overseas have contributed to Triple P’s development and evaluation; but the program’s heart remains at UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre where Professor Sanders, who is also a clinical psychology professor, is the director.

With support from UniQuest, Triple P has progressed from academic endeavour to community practice as a sustainable, global program with multiple international awards.

Families can access the program online and it has been further developed and adapted for parents of children with a disability (Stepping Stones Triple P); parents going through divorce or separation (Lifestyle Triple P) and for indigenous families (Indigenous Triple P). A new module was developed in 2020 to assist families and children to stay calm and optimistic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UniQuest negotiated the commercial agreement for the program’s delivery and established a licence in 2001 for commercial partner, Triple P International Pty Ltd, to disseminate the evidence-based parenting framework worldwide. The perpetual licence to distribute Triple P has endured through the substantial growth of the program.

It is now regarded as one of the most extensively evaluated evidence-based parenting systems in the world, with more than 340 published academic papers evaluating its impact across different cultures, socio-economic groups and family structures.

Parenting success with a global fanbase

Research shows learning and practising positive parenting not only increases the wellbeing of children and parents, it also improves the health of communities.

An independent evaluation of Triple P in the Irish Midlands found parents and children experienced a range of health improvements after undertaking the program. Typically, parents were more confident in their role, used more appropriate discipline, were less stressed, experienced less parental distress, and family relationships improved. Children became happier, less anxious, had better peer relationships, and those experiencing behavioural conduct problems significantly improved. Community-wide reductions in child maltreatment indicators have been demonstrated in locations where Triple P has been made widely available.

Triple P is used in countries all over the world including the US, UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, Japan, Iran, Singapore, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Curacao, Romania, Switzerland and Austria. In Queensland, the state government provides the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program for free to help parents reach their full potential.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Triple P be integrated into services provided by US medical practices to reduce the toxic effects of poverty on children’s health. Triple P was also showcased at the White House as part of an initiative to improve outcomes for youth, particularly for boys and young men of colour.

Triple P’s wide-reaching impact is testament that quality research can inform programs that drive improvements to the lives of individuals and families while also providing community-wide benefits.